


it's offish

by crispierchip



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexual Content, aka patty is a college student on a sugar daddy app, somehow extremely domestic, thirst traps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:58:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23810335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crispierchip/pseuds/crispierchip
Summary: TK has no idea how he ends up on a sugar daddy website.Well, okay, that’s kind of a lie.
Relationships: Travis Konecny/Nolan Patrick
Comments: 236
Kudos: 497





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi long time no see!! so basically i love sugar daddy fic and thought i'd give it a shot! that being said, this got a little out of hand haha. i am having a ton of fun writing it though so i hope you enjoy reading <33
> 
> huge thanks to jen who seriously is the sweetest, her comments really made this a better story and also made my day <33 also thank you to everyone who was excited, that means the world to me :D
> 
> title from the poet post malone as he sang it in his song saint-tropez
> 
> updates will be about this long and probably once or twice a week! rating will change to explicit in the following chapters. [note: number of chapters says 10 bc that's how many i have outlined but honestly,,, who knows]

TK has no idea how he ends up on a sugar daddy website. 

Well, okay, that’s kind of a lie. And TK has been making an effort to be more honest with himself so he should take that back. In all honesty, he has every idea. 

He’s just gotten back in Philly for the season, and G has a team get together for the guys and their families. TK goes and has fun, really, it’s just - he keeps looking at Ghost with Gina, G with Ry, even Hartsy with his girl and it _ hits _him: this heavy feeling in his stomach, a tightness around his heart; he wants that.

Of course, there are a few technical issues with this concept. The main one being, TK hasn’t got the first idea where or how to get it. Of course he knows the mechanical aspects, but the technical aspects are not the issue. The issue is TK being more or less unable to walk up to a guy and hit on him because, like, privacy.

He’s on his laptop, and he spent a good chunk of time the other day going through dating websites, and that’s when he sees the ad. And TK has had a few beers, is feeling a little down on himself, and so he thinks: middle ground. He can afford it, and he doubts he’ll actually find someone to match with, so there’s no harm. 

That’s the argument he uses to buy a subscription, though he’s too keyed up to use it right away. He doesn’t even download the app on his phone, mostly because it’s called_ $ugar Swipe _ and TK spends too much time around nosy teammates and has no desire to be torn to pieces over a moment of intense loneliness. 

Training camp starts shortly after, too, and TK is too exhausted to do much more than eat, go to the rink, sleep and repeat, so he doesn’t end up on the website again until after the preseason. He’s alone in his hotel room and he keeps thinking about it, and figures the subscription will just go to waste if he doesn’t use it at least once. 

He didn’t even bother setting up his profile, so he needs to do that first before he can swipe. TK angsts over what pictures to choose for an embarrassingly long time before finally settling on three mostly non-descript ones. He’s careful to crop his face out, though he does put up a photo of his abs because he’s proud of his body, and then a boomerang of a deadlift that he took over the summer while he was training. 

After that he needs to set his preferences, age and area and who he’s interested in, but the whole process takes less time than he thought it would. Bios are optional - thankfully - so TK opts out of that.

Then he actually swipes. Honestly he thought actually choosing which dudes he likes would be more mortifying, but after the first dozen he sort of just gets really into it. When he swipes down on the notification bar he sees that he’s been swiping for close to an hour. He didn't swipe right on everyone, but he thinks he did okay, though he hasn’t gotten any matches.

Still, it’s gotten pretty late and they have an early practice tomorrow before the game, so TK sets his phone aside and heads off to bed. When he wakes up the next morning he’s got two matches, and even a message. 

_ your abs are better than ur face? _ the message reads, which - TK isn’t sure what he expected but it wasn’t this. It kind of makes him laugh, and he goes to check the guy’s profile. 

His name is Pat, which TK assumes is short for Patrick, probably, and he’s a year younger than TK. He goes to school in Philly and his pictures are - well, hot, for lack of a better word. He’s got more than the three TK uploaded, ranging from shirtless to dressed in a checkered suit, and one where he’s bent over a textbook, a pen hanging loosely from his lips. 

The guy - Pat - has his face in every pic, but is only smiling in one. The sun is on his face, and his hand is pushing his hair back, and his mouth is stretched wide. TK spends a good few seconds looking at that last pic, and then turns to the chat. 

_ i know my strengths _ , he types jokingly. He’s not sure about the etiquette on sugar daddy apps, but he thinks he should say something nice about Pat. Kind of wants to, as well, so he adds, _ nice suit _.

TK is not expecting a quick reply or anything since the message was sent late last night, so he heads to the bathroom to get ready for team breakfast. There are no messages on his phone by the time he’s ready to head down, and then it’s just his mom texting him good morning before practice. 

By the time he’s off the team bus and getting ready for practice he’s sure he has somehow managed to fuck it up. It’s not like it would be a huge loss or anything - TK didn’t even know the guy - but he kind of liked him anyway. 

That’s why he jumps when he hears his phone vibrate after practice. TK has just finished with his shower and is getting back into his clothes, but he stops with his jeans halfway on to check it. He feels his stomach curl a little when he unlocks his phone and sees the _ $ugar Swipe _ notification. He discreetly glances around him to make sure no one is paying attention and then opens the app. 

_ thanks _ , Pat has sent back. He’s still typing, TK can see, and another message pops up a couple of seconds later: _ nice belly button _.

TK huffs out a laugh reading that. His fingers hover over the screen of his phone while he tries to come up with a clever response to Pat’s message, though he eventually gives in and types the first thing that he thought of: _ thank you. made it myself! _

_ lol _ , he gets back, and, before he can angst over whether he screwed up, _ what else can u make? _

TK smiles down at his phone. He thinks Pat’s message could be read as a little suggestive, but TK doesn’t quite want to take the plunge just in case he’s read it wrong. He types back, _ a mean salad _, which he thinks is generic enough.

He looks down at his phone for a few seconds, but the texting bubble doesn’t appear, and then someone throws some balled up tape at TK, at which point TK realizes he’s been standing here for a good couple of minutes and his jeans are still around his thighs. TK turns around to glare at whoever threw the tape, and finds Haysie snickering. 

“Your phone is that interesting, Teeks?” he asks. 

TK rolls eyes and locks his phone. He can feel it vibrate in his hand with a new message, but he opts for pulling his jeans the rest of the way on instead. “More interesting than all your faces,” he mutters in Haysie’s vague direction.

Haysie makes a wounded noise from where he’s half naked, and leaves TK alone after that. TK still waits until he’s safely sitting on the bus before checking his phone again. 

_ oh a mean one?? _ Pat has sent back, followed by, 🙄🙄.

_ yeah i don’t cook much _ , TK replies honestly. He looks at the message for a second and then adds, _ how about you? _ both because he wants to know and to keep the conversation going. 

It takes Pat a few minutes, but he eventually answers, _ mostly cafeteria food and takeout for me _, which prompts TK to ask what the food is like at college. They sort of fall into an easy back and forth after that, and TK is surprised when the bus comes to a halt. 

Hartsy and Ghost ask if TK wants to come with them for lunch, but TK opts out of that - not just because of Pat, though it has been nice talking to him. TK orders some room service instead, keeps chatting with Pat, asking enough questions that he’s learnt Pat’s major (_ sociology _ ), where he’s from ( _ Winnipeg _ ) and what he does in his free time ( _ free time? Idk her _). 

Pat asks him a few things, too, like what TK does for a living (_ sports _) and a selfie - which TK talks himself out of pretty successfully he thinks. The whole thing is way less skeevy than TK had thought it would be, and TK doesn’t know if that’s just Pat being Pat or what, but he’ll take it. 

They talk all the way through TK eating and then some, until TK has to go to bed for his nap. TK is kind of bummed he has to go, but Pat just laughs at him when TK tells him the reason, which kind of makes up for it.

_ a nap?? _ he sends, and, _ day off? _

_ day on _, TK types back, which may be giving too much away but Pat kind of makes TK want to keep talking. 

_ you’re going to sleep in the middle of the work day? _ Pat asks. 

TK smiles down at his phone. _ it’s called a power nap, look it up _ 🙈 _ . _

🙄🙄, Pat sends back. TK is starting to think that’s his go-to emoji, which would honestly be fitting. _ will do _ , he sends, and then a third message: _ make sure to dream of me _.

That has TK outright laughing, if only because he can sort of imagine Pat’s face as he says it: a little gruff like in most of his photos. _ counting on it bud _ , he sends. He considers it for a moment and then sends, _ it was nice talking to you. _

_ i know _ , Pat sends back. Then, after a moment: _ it was nice talking to your abs too travis _.

Travis is still laughing, and he’s feeling slightly risque so he pulls up his t-shirt and snaps a pic of his stomach, abs clenched but mostly his belly button in view. He captions it, _ my belly button says bye _, and sends it.

_ lol _ , Pat sends. _ have a nice beauty sleep you need it at your age _, he texts.

TK is only a year older than Pat but the message still makes him laugh. _ gee thanks _, he texts, and looks down at his phone long enough to see Pat like the message.

+

TK is too keyed up to text Patty before the game, and after the game they get on the plane to Calgary and he’s too busy getting his ass handed to him at various card games that Haysie may or may not be coming up with right that moment. The next day TK is up early, but he thinks he should at least try to act chill. Then he remembers he’s on an actual sugar daddy app and decides chill is overrated.

_ good morning _, he texts, which is maybe lame but TK never claimed to be very smooth. Pat doesn’t get back to him right away, so TK spends most of team breakfast alternating between checking his phone and poking at his eggs. He’s sure it doesn’t go unnoticed either, judging by the looks the guys at the table keep giving him, but no one comments on it.

TK’s phone is dead silent after practice too, and it’s been long enough that TK starts to worry about having missed his chance or something. He knows he probably didn’t say something bad, if only because Pat had sounded agreeable enough yesterday, but maybe TK took too long to text him again. Fuck, maybe he texted too soon. 

TK hasn’t been on this type of app before, hasn’t been on any type of dating app, and just wondering about timing and messages and double texting is exhausting. He doesn’t want to blow up Pat’s phone but he does want to talk to him. 

TK’s still angsting over his questionable message when he hears his phone vibrate on the nightstand. He’s just gotten back from lunch with the guys, and he’s halfway through brushing his teeth when he hears it. TK’s probably too quick reaching for it, but again: not very smooth. 

_ sry in class all morning _, Pat has sent, and TK, ridiculously, feels the knot in his stomach loosen. Pat’s typing bubble is still up, and the toothpaste has started to burn TK’s tongue, so he dumps his phone on the mattress and hurries to spit in the bathroom sink. 

TK’s phone is lit up when he gets back to the bed, two new texts. _ good afternoon lol _ , the first one reads, and the second one, _ how’s belly button man? _

TK feels his chest loosen further and sits down on the bed. He checks the time on his phone, and he’d usually be in one of the guys’ rooms playing xbox right now, but he leans against the headboard and gets lost in talking with Pat pretty effortlessly. 

Pat is easy to talk to, fun, and he always seems to know what to say to keep the conversation going. Sometimes his messages read a little gruff but TK thinks that’s funny more than anything, and a couple of times, after TK has made a particularly funny joke, Pat sends _ haha _ instead of _ lol _and that sounds oddly genuine. 

There’s no game tonight, but TK likes sticking to a routine, thinks it makes him play better on game days, so a little while later he has to go for his nap.

_ another afternoon nap? _ Pat asks when TK tells him. 

TK huffs. He considers lying but he doesn’t like the idea of it, so he just sends, _ it’s all about routine _, and tries not to worry about giving too much away again.

Pat either doesn’t make any connection or simply doesn’t comment on it. He sends instead, _ guess no use in asking for a selfie? _

TK’s fingers hover over the phone screen for a moment before quickly typing up, _ gotta keep u on your toes somehow for when we meet _. He’s feeling brave, suddenly, and sends it before thinking too hard about it.

There are a few seconds, too fucking many, before Pat responds. At first it’s just the text bubble a couple of times, and then he finally sends, _ is that so? _

_ if u are into that _, TK types, with a kind of bravado he doesn’t really feel. 

_ it can be arranged i guess _ 🤷, Pat sends back. TK kind of wants to do a small victory dance, but the typing bubble pops up again. _ if u show me your face _ , Pat amends, and then a third message: _ i don’t go out with guys without seeing their face first. _

TK reads the last two messages and almost snaps a pic of his face. He wants to, because he knows Pat has a point, and also TK has already unknowingly put him at a disadvantage. He still doesn’t, in the end.

_ can we talk a little more first? _ he sends instead, and decisively doesn’t think about how soft that sounds or whatever. Jesus, he should have looked for a dating app tutorial before signing up; maybe he’d sound less stupid that way.

It takes a while for Pat to get back to him, long enough that TK throws his phone on the bed and starts switching out of his jeans and into something more comfortable. When he’s dressed again he reaches for his phone and finds a single _ $ugar Swipe _ notification. 

_ sure man _ , Pat’s text reads, and then a second message pops up while TK is reading: _ now go take care of those beauty lines _.

TK, once again, smiles down at his phone. He thinks it’s a little embarrassing, that just a few messages with a guy he’s kind of into can have this effect on him, but TK also has never been this close to dating someone in his adult life before. It’s kind of a thrill. 

TK likes Pat’s last message and gets under the covers, still feeling oddly light. 

+

They don’t tagain that day, but the next morning Pat texts him first. TK wakes up to it, which he thinks makes sense with the time difference. His eyes are still a little bleary but he opens the thread as soon as he’s shut off his alarm. 

It’s a photo of a frankly sad looking sandwich, a plain ham and cheese one. TK blinks at it and then reads the caption:_ i make a mean sandwich if u were wondering _ . He laughs at the reference and types back a quick, _ looks delish bud _. 

Pat doesn’t reply though TK has figured out that Pat is just not on his phone while in class. He doesn’t mind, but he does take the time to snap a discreet pic of his breakfast before he goes to join the guys at the table. 

It’s not until halfway through breakfast that he gets a response. _ did u make that? _ Pat has sent.

TK types his response with his phone half hidden under the table. _ depends _ , he sends. _ are you impressed? _

_ haha _ , Pat sends back. TK wants to ask for a selfie to see if he’s smiling, but he doesn’t think it would be fair. The typing bubble pops up, and three seconds later a new message, _ gonna have to try a little harder _.

TK purses his lips to keep from smiling in front of the guys. _ i will _ , he answers, maybe too honest. _ don’t mind that _.

_ good to know _, Pat sends. He sends another photo, this time just his stretched out legs, crossed at the ankles. His jeans are tight on his thighs and TK blinks. He’s pretty sure this shouldn’t qualify as a thirst trap in his head but it does anyway. 

_ gotta go now. class is starting _, Pat follows it up with.

TK almost says something stupid like have fun but catches himself just on time. _ pay attention _, he sends instead, and keeps looking at his phone long enough to see Pat like the message.

It’s practice after that, and a slow day - no game. TK texts Pat again once he’s up from his nap, just before he heads to Hartsy’s room for a few rounds of CoD. 

_ hope class was good! _ He says, trying not to feel weird about the exclamation point because he’s already hit send so it’s too late now. 

It’s a few minutes until Pat replies, long enough for TK to slip on a hoodie and start grabbing his stuff. _ class is never good _, Pat sends back eventually. There’s a pic too, this time a textbook at a weird angle, Pat’s chin at the edge of the photo like it’s a downturned selfie. TK can barely make out the curve of Pat’s mouth, but he can see his sandy stubble clearly. 

_ u should shave _, TK texts, without really thinking about it. He grabs his keycard and heads out, walking down the hall to Hartsy’s room. 

_ oh should i _ 👀👀, Pat sends. 

TK can’t tell if the message is honestly flirty or if he’s just starved for this type of interaction. He’s stopped halfway between his room and Hartsy’s, his thumbs hovering over the screen before he just taps on it and sends, _ yes. and send me a pic after _.

Pat doesn’t answer right away which leaves TK just standing there before he eventually moves to lean against the wall. He just hopes he read it right and wasn’t too forthcoming. 

_ hmm _ , Pat replies. _ i’ll consider it _. 

TK can’t decipher that, and Hartsy is already texting him where he is and if he’s coming, so he simply double taps the message to like it and locks his phone. 

Ghost and Provy are already in Hartsy’s room when TK gets there, rock-paper-scissoring who’s going to play first. TK jumps on it quickly and gets roped into a few long rounds of CoD, intense enough that he mostly forgets about Pat and the shaving incident. 

They four of them have dinner after they’re done one upping each other, so it’s pretty late by the time TK’s back in his room. He grabs his phone, not expecting much of anything, and finds two pics from Pat. The first one is just a razor and some shaving cream on a bathroom counter, but the second is Pat’s face - or rather, his cheeks, lathered up in shaving cream.

The pics were from over an hour ago, and TK wastes no time. _ i don't get the finished look? _ he asks, and then, not because he feels like he owes Pat an explanation but because he’d feel like a dick if he didn’t add one, says, _ sry out with friends. _

TK just sits with his phone in hand for a couple of minutes before deciding that’s ridiculous and starts getting ready for bed instead. He’s just setting up his alarms when he gets another _ $ugar Swipe _ notification from Pat. 

It’s another photo, this one of Pat’s face. He’s not smiling but he’s shaved, and TK, for a really long, odd moment, is stuck staring at the lines of his cheekbones, the curve of his jaw as the light hits his face. His hair is tousled and a little wet like maybe he washed it and didn’t fully dry it. 

_ good look? _ Pat follows the pic up with, at which point TK realizes he’s been staring for a good few seconds. 

TK doesn’t know what to say. This is kind of new to him, openly admitting his attraction to another guy, and he’s suddenly glad he hasn’t sent Pat a selfie yet; thinks the anonymity makes it easier to reply. 

_ yeah i like it _ , he sends, and the simplicity of it feels weird more than anything. It’s out there now, TK said it, and he adds, _ smile though pat? _ a little because he wants to shake it off but mostly because he’d kind of want to see that too. 

_ no _ , he gets back. Pat is still typing so TK waits him out and a few seconds later another message pops up. _ gotta keep u on your toes somehow _, he chirps. There’s a third message too, an emoji: 😉.

TK laughs. _ well played _ , he says, _ i deserved that _.

_ glad we’re on the same page _, Pat replies. 

TK likes his message and seriously considers just snapping a pic - again. He’s feeling a little off kilter though, maybe somewhat skittish, so he ends up asking Pat if he’s got class tomorrow instead - which he does. They switch a few messages back and forth for a while, long enough that TK starts to feel sleepy. He imagines it must be even worse for Pat, given the time difference, and he feels a little bad because Pat needs to be up early tomorrow. 

Pat starts going a little longer between replies, after a bit, and TK can imagine his eyes drifting shut with his phone in hand. He selfishly wants to keep him up longer - if only for his gruff remarks that definitely shouldn’t be making TK laugh - but he ultimately shuts the thought down.

_ dude you are falling asleep _ , TK sends instead. _ go to bed _.

_ i’m not _, Pat sends back, and it probably says something about TK’s investment into their exchanges, that TK can imagine the frown that must go with the reply.

_ good niiiiiiiight _, TK just sends, ignoring him. 

_ fine _ , he gets back. Pat types a little longer and sends, _ gn _.

+

There’s no message when TK wakes up the next morning, which is a bit of a bummer until TK realizes he can just send one himself, duh. He thinks that would be fair, even, since Pat texted him first yesterday morning, and when TK approaches it like that snapping a pic of his eggs for the second day in a row feels almost easy.

TK is not expecting an answer, figuring Pat will be in class, but he gets one anyway. His phone lights up on the table next to him, and he reaches out to snatch it before anyone can see the notification. Hartsy notices, of course he does, but he doesn’t call any attention to it, so TK’s thumb feels only a little clammy as he unlocks his phone. 

_ almost missed class bc of you _ , Pat has replied. And then a second message, _ thanks _.

TK huffs out a laugh. _ thought you weren’t even sleepy _, he shoots back easily.

🙄🙄, Patty sends, and then a photo of half of his face making the same expression. His mouth is set in a firm line and his single eye in the shot is looking right at TK. His skin is smooth, and TK gets stuck on that. 

He likes the photo without thinking too hard about it and sends, _ angry looks good on you _.

The typing bubble pops up, and Pat sends, _ you know what else would look good on me? _

TK’s eyes widen as he reads the message - twice because he's sure he read it wrong the first time - and he sets down his fork. He knows this is definitely too risky for team breakfast but that doesn’t stop him from asking, _ what?? _

_ sleep _, is Pat’s quick response.

TK chuckles, a little helpless to it, and is instantly aware of many sets of eyes on him. He doesn’t look up to confirm, just tries to cover it up with a cough and probably fails. 

“Here, have some water,” Hartsy tells him, leaning closer to set a fresh bottle of water next to TK. 

TK discreetly angles his phone away from Hartsy. “Thanks, bro,” he says with a smile. 

Hartsy narrows his eyes at TK but doesn’t push further. TK still waits until he’s back in his room before opening Pat’s message again. He likes Pat’s last message and types, _ you made your bed. _

It takes a few minutes for Pat to get back to him, so TK is on the team bus by the time his phone lights up again. _ i hate you _, Pat has sent, followed by two more emoji, 🙄🙄.

_ no you don’t _ , TK responds easily. He’s not sure what it is - maybe the fact that Pat stayed up late last night just to talk to TK, or perhaps that TK can still see the bottom half of Pat’s face in his last photo a few messages up - but TK feels brave. He types, _ but let me make it up to you anyway _, and hits send before he can think too hard about it.

_ oh? _ Pat asks, and for the first time maybe since they started talking TK isn’t feeling totally helpless. 

_ saturday _ , TK just says, and, _ i’m taking you out _ . He hasn’t forgotten about what Pat said, so he adds, _ and i’ll send you a selfie tonight _.

Pat’s typing bubble pops up, then disappears before popping up again. TK maybe holds his breath through the whole thing, doesn’t breathe out until Pat sends, _ it’s a deal _ . He’s typing again, and the second massage reads: _ (but you don’t have to if you don't want to) _.

That’s an out if TK has ever seen one, but he finds he doesn’t want to take it, surprisingly._ i want to _ , he sends. The bus comes to a halt outside the rink and he hastily types up, _ gotta go to work but tonight _.

Pat likes the message. He sends, _ can’t wait for the grand reveal _, and that eases some of the nerves in TK’s stomach. 

+

They lose to the Flames, and then they’re on the plane to Edmonton. TK’s exhausted by the time the bus drops them off at the hotel, and he definitely doesn’t feel like sending a selfie but - he did sort of promise. Not so much to Pat, because Pat gave him an out, but TK promised to himself. Fewer lies, more honesty and all.

Still, TK’s lying in bed, and he’s not sure - should he get up for this? Maybe take off his shirt or something because he can clench his abs, but he can’t clench his jaw, not really. He spends a good chunk of time debating it, honestly, but he’s also tired, so in the end he just turns toward the lamp on the nightstand closest to him and snaps a pic. 

It’s not a bad pic - mediocre, probably. The lighting is kind of fuzzy but it shows TK’s face, and he’s even made an effort to smile. He sends it and adds, _ sorry for the delay. _ Then he locks his phone and gets the fuck to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing TK does the next morning is check his phone. He knows Pat will already be awake for class and with the time difference, so he unlocks his phone and heads over to  _ $ugar Swipe.  _

_ lol _ , Pat has just sent, which is most definitely not what TK expected. Actually, he isn’t even sure what he expected, but the message reads a little mean, so TK just types back a couple of question marks and starts getting ready for team breakfast. 

There’s no message when he’s ready to leave his room, or even after he’s done eating. After that there’s practice again, a light one this time, and it’s not until TK is getting ready for his pre-game nap that he gets a response. 

It’s been long enough that he’s started to feel a little petty over the whole thing, and he considers just ignoring the text until later tonight. He knows he won't be able to get much sleep though, not unless he reads it, so he eventually thumbs the notification open. 

There’s two messages this time, the first one reads,  _ dude i told you you didn’t have to send one _ , and the second,  _ and you def didn’t have to send a pic of travis konency _ .

TK blinks at the messages; reads them again. He thinks it’s probably the longest text Pat has sent him, and that doesn’t sit well with him.  _ omg _ , he texts back. And then, because he’s got no sense of self-preservation,  _ do you want to facetime or sth? _

_ sure _ , Pat sends, and TK has this feeling like he’s humoring TK. He sends TK his phone number right after, though, and TK should most definitely be sleeping but he dials it anyway.

The line rings and rings, and TK sits up a little straighter against the headboard. For a moment he thinks Pat is just going to ignore his call and then ghost him or something, or maybe he didn’t even give TK his actual, real number - and isn’t that a terrifying thought - but then Pat picks up. 

It takes a minute for the image to clear up, and then TK can see Pat’s eyes growing wide. He thinks Pat is surprised, that’s what it looks like at least, but TK can also see Pat’s hair, which looks good if a little messy, and Pat’s face, which definitely looks more than good. For a moment, the only thought in TK’s head is that photos really did not do him justice. 

Then TK remembers he has a mouth to go with his brain, and croaks out a very awkward, “Hey.”

Pat is quiet. Quiet for long enough that TK starts to squirm a little, looking away. “I feel like such an idiot right now,” Pat says eventually. He groans and when TK looks at him he flops back onto something, probably a bed or a couch. 

“I thought you thought I was ugly or something,” TK admits, which is probably not a great response but whatever. He’s feeling a little shaken with how attractive Pat is, he has a little trouble processing decisions or, like, proper etiquette.

Pat half snorts half laughs, then tilts the camera back towards him. “No,” he just says. “I just thought you were messing with me,” he explains. 

The camera is pointed directly at his face now, and TK thinks there must be a window nearby because there’s all this natural light hitting Pat’s face, which - TK is not one for poetry, but he thinks that looks pretty romantic. 

Or something. 

“No, come on,” he says, once he’s gotten it together enough to start talking again. “That’s a dick move, I wouldn't do that.”

Pat squints at him. “You don't like dick moves?” he asks, lips a little twisted like he’s trying not to smile. 

TK laughs and groans to cover it up. “What are you, like, thirteen?” he asks. 

Pat is actually laughing now, either at his own joke or the awkwardness of the situation, TK isn’t sure, but he’ll take it. It’s a nice sound. “Sorry, dick jokes are my ice-breaker,” he says, once he’s gotten himself back under control. 

TK chuckles. “Is it broken?” he asks. 

Pat gives him a look, the one he has in the photos on his profile. It makes him look very attractive, almost unapproachable. “I hope so,” he says, and his voice is a little mumbly now. “That was one of my best jokes.”

“Great,” TK mutters. “Can’t wait to hear the rest,” he says, with intentional crabbiness. 

“Shut up,” Pat says easily. TK watches him push his hair out his face and finds himself wondering if it’s as soft as it looks. Then he thinks it probably is and shuts that thought down real quick. 

“So,” he says instead, maybe a little loud. “Saturday?”

Pat grins, only half of his mouth curving upwards. He talks between his lips as he says, “So you did like my jokes!”

TK is starting to realize he apparently likes a lot of things about Pat. “Definitely not the jokes,” he says. He thinks a different answer would be less revealing, but it’s worth it for the way Pat smiles, small and satisfied.

“Something else, then?” Pat asks, voice kind of oddly warm. 

TK is glad for the shitty lighting in the room that means Pat will probably not see his flush. Still, he knows this is an opening of some sort, and he wants to take it like he would over text, but somehow saying something with his actual voice seems - daunting. He considers it for a moment too long and then says, “Maybe I’d like some hair care tips,” which is a lie but not far from the truth.

Pat laughs, and TK is once again stuck on the sound, how he’s the one responsible for it. He wouldn't mind being responsible for it again, he realizes. “Yeah, that can be arranged,” Pat says, knocking TK out of it. 

“I’m glad,” he says, before he can stop himself, but it’s worth it for the warm smile Pat gives him. 

They’re both quiet for a few seconds, and TK finds himself shifting awkwardly, looking for something to say. Pat for his part looks unbothered, maybe a little amused, and in the end he asks TK if he does this often. 

The question throws TK off a little but he was sort of expecting it, sooner or later. He laughs awkwardly and admits, “Not really.”

Pat rolls his eyes and gestures for him to go on exaggeratedly. “Yeah, if you want to elaborate you can,” he says, mumbly.

TK feels like he hasn’t stopped smiling since Pat hit him with the dick joke. It’s nice. “I haven’t spoken with anyone else on the app,” he says. Maybe that’s awkward - it definitely has the potential to be - but Pat just nods. 

“Neat,” he says. 

“Neat?” TK parrots, making his voice deeper and mumbling the word between his teeth.

The mockery makes Pat roll his eyes and laugh. He runs a hand through his hair again and laughs right in front of the camera, right in TK’s face. 

“What kind of food do you like?” TK blurts out. He realizes it’s a pretty important question, since he wants to take Pat out. 

“Sushi,” Pat is quick to answer. 

“Great,” TK says. “I like sushi, too,” he says. 

Pat asks him if that's so, and they end up talking back and forth a little, half crabby jokes and half actual questions. A little bit of awkwardness, too, but TK doesn’t mind it as much as he thought he would. 

TK has to go first, after he checks the time and realizes he should have gone to bed, like, twenty minutes ago. 

“Nap?” Pat raises a single eyebrow when TK tells him he needs to hang up, and it’s pretty clear he wants to make fun of TK for it still. 

TK rolls his eyes. He dumps his phone on the bed for a second and strips off his shirt to save time. When he raises the phone to face-level again, he gets to see Pat’s eyes grow a little wide. He’s not smiling but he’s looking right at TK, and TK knows his body looks good. He pulls the phone a little further away, so Pat can have a decent view of his chest, and waggles his eyebrows. 

“Like what you see?” he asks, grinning. 

Pat looks at TK’s chest a little longer and then rolls his eyes. “Put on a shirt and go to sleep, loser,” he mutters. 

TK outright laughs at that. He wants to keep talking to Pat, crack more jokes to get him laughing again, but he also, regrettably, has a game later today. 

They hang up and then the Flyers lose to the Oilers, which feels a little unfair. After the game, while on the bus headed to the airport, TK snaps a pic of his face, head resting against the window of the bus, and sends it to Pat. It’s late, so he’s not expecting a response, but he gets one. A selfie, Pat in his bed, face half mashed into the pillow while he smiles lazily at the camera. 

TK looks at it too long and sends,  _ go to bed need you rested tomorrow _ , not for the innuendo but rather because he has noticed how early Pat needs to be up for class. 

_ yeah i should _ , Pat sends back. He’s typing still, and a few seconds later there's another message: _ looking forward to eating some wasabi with you _ .

TK chuckles, a small thing, but he’s already feeling lighter.  _ will get extra wasabi then _ , TK sends. 

+

The flight got in late last night, and the team only has video review for this morning, so TK wakes up a little later than usual. He reaches for his phone first thing which he didn’t use to do before Patty but now he’s, like, high-key invested. 

He’s got no  _ $ugar Swipe _ notifications, which is kind of a bummer, but he does have a few text notifications. The first one is from his mom, asking him how he’s been, another one from Hartsy asking if he’s up to carpool. The third thread is from Pat, and TK feels oddly satisfied that they’ve graduated to actual, real life texting, outside of the app.

TK opens Pat’s thread first, a selfie from two hours ago. Pat is outside and the pic is a little shaky, so TK thinks maybe he was walking to class. Pat is wearing headphones, too, and black sunglasses, and for a moment he looks so intently unapproachable. Then TK reads the messages underneath the pic and realizes that’s probably mostly in TK’s head.

_ love to have to go to econ at 9am _ , Pat has written. And then,  _ (also i just figured text would be easier but we can go back to the app if you want) _ .

The first message really sticks with TK for a reason: it’s just Patty letting TK know about his day, no apparent purpose or motive, and TK likes that. He thought maybe the transition of going from basically only talking with someone he just matched with on a dating app to actually wanting them to be a part of his day should be more jarring but - it’s just Pat. TK likes Pat.

TK likes Pat’s selfie and sends one of his own, still in bed. He doesn’t mean to make it scandalous but he does angle his phone a little so the definition in his shoulders will be more prominent.  _ how was econ? _ TK asks underneath it, and,  _ (def okay with texting as long as it works for u too) _ .

TK texts Hartsy then to let him know he’s good to be picked up and then talks with his mom a bit until he needs to start getting ready. He’s just shoving some eggs into his mouth when Pat gets back to him. 

_ wow you’re up early  _ 🙄, Pat has sent him, which makes TK huff around a mouthful of eggs - not surprising, considering most of the things Pat says TK has come to find amusing. _ econ sucks as per usual _ , Pat follows it up with, and a third message:  _ nice right shoulder _ 👍.

_ just video review today _ , TK types but doesn’t send. He wonders for a moment if it will be too revealing but then he remembers he doesn’t need to worry about that; it’s kind of nice. TK hits send and then writes,  _ good enough to make up for econ? _

Pat reacts with a thumbs up to TK’s first message and then starts typing right away. _ i mean yeah _ , he sends,  _ but if you wanted to try a little harder i wouldn't say no 👀. _

TK puts his fork down and very consciously does not entertain the thought taking a dick pic and sending it to Pat.  _ careful what u wish for _ , he sends instead, and tries to fight down his flush. His face doesn’t really cooperate.

_ nah i like living dangerously _ , Pat replies quickly.  _ (but it doesn’t have to be a dick pic lol) _ , he explains. 

TK reads the last two messages and makes a pitiful noise into his empty kitchen. He’s scrambling for something to say - or maybe just thinking really hard about what kind of pic to send - when his doorbell goes off. 

TK jumps in his chair and locks his phone. “Coming,” he yells, when the bell rings again. He checks through the peephole first but it’s just Hartsy and Haysie. 

“Took you long enough,” Hartsy grumbles when TK gets the door open, nudging past him to get inside. 

Haysie follows him easily and says, “Leave him alone, maybe he was busy.” His voice curls funny around the last word, and TK doesn’t trust that. 

He narrows his eyes at them both. “You guys are here early,” he says. 

“Well,” Hartsy starts. He’s looking around TK’s living room all suspiciously and so is Haysie. “Had to make sure you were ready to go,” Hartsy reasons. 

“Uhm, okay,” TK says uncertainly. “Should I just get dressed or?” he goes on to ask, because the two of them are still kind of inspecting TK’s sitting room and kitchen like they’re half expecting TK to be hiding someone, which - well, kind of makes sense.

“Or do you guys want to check my bedroom too?” TK asks, after it’s hit him. He’s squinting at them, but neither Haysie nor Hartsy are self-conscious enough to look chastised or anything. 

“I guess we’ll skip the bedroom for now,” Haysie says cheerfully. He dips into TK’s kitchen and comes back with TK’s plate in hand, shoving the leftover eggs into his mouth. 

TK would be, like, disgusted, if this cracked even the top 5 of the most disturbing things he’s seen Haysie do. Or eat. As it is, he just makes a face and heads for his bedroom to get changed. 

He checks his phone when he’s alone and dressed, and there’s a new text notification from Patty.  _ you don’t have to if you don’t want to _ , he has sent, and then two minutes after that, _ sry if i was pushy lol. _

TK doesn’t like either of those messages, and he definitely hates how he’s made Pat doubt TK’s commitment to getting him hot or talking to him in general.  _ no no you weren’t _ , he sends quickly.  _ couple of the guys came over and we’re gonna carpool _ , he adds as an explanation. 

Pat doesn’t text back right away, so TK types up a third message to go with the first two:  _ but i’ll send you a good one. _ TK has no idea what exactly a good pic consists of but he can probably, like, google some examples.

+

TK doesn’t end up googling much of anything. He’s about to, when he’s on the bike post video review, but then he realizes he’s worked up a good sweat, and it’s only going to get better by the end of his workout. 

That’s what gives him the idea to ditch his Flyers’ tee twenty minutes later, snap a pic of himself while his legs burn on the pedals. It’s just his face and chest, but he makes sure to get the light on him just right, and his hair is already dripping with sweat, so he thinks it’s a decent pic. 

He hits send before he can second guess it, and then it’s out there, in the chat. He’s not very insecure, usually, but he does care about Patty liking the pic and that’s a strange type of investment. 

TK knows Pat has class now, so he’s not expecting a quick response but he gets one anyway.  _ well this makes up for a whole month of econ probably _ , Pat’s message reads. 

TK can’t stop the way his stomach curls pleasantly at that but he doesn’t want to either. There’s this type of newness to it, maybe because TK hasn’t had a ton of experience sexting before, or maybe just because it’s Patty. TK doesn’t think about it hard enough to find out.

His legs burn and his face does, too, as he types out, _ anytime,  _ and,  _ glad to be of service. _

Pat doesn’t reply, not until TK is back home after having lunch with Hartsy and Haysie. He likes the message and sends, _ careful i might take you up on that, _ right as TK is toeing off his shoes.

TK worries it might be giving too much away, what he wants to say, but he says it anyway:  _ wouldn’t mind that at all _ . He stays standing in his entryway long enough to see Pat like that message and then moves to the living room so he can lie on the couch. 

_ good to know _ , Pat replies a few seconds later. TK can imagine his voice around the words, a little gruff, and his mouth, fighting down a smile. 

He doesn’t let himself think about it before sending,  _ what are you doing tonight? _ Their date is not supposed to be until tomorrow, mostly because TK figured he’d be tired right after the roadtrip, and he is, a little, but the desire to finally see Pat in person heavily outweighs that.

_ more econ _ , Pat replies, but before TK can get too inside his head about it Pat sends,  _ unless you have something more interesting in mind. _

TK lets out a breath. _ i thought we could go for some wasabi _ , he sends. He stays looking at his phone for a whole three seconds and then locks it and shoves it by his side between the couch pillows. Then grabs another pillow to scream into. He’s so done playing it chill, he just wants to see Pat.

And that should be a striking realization, but it feels like he’s been building up to it for a while. Now he just hopes Patty feels the same kind of anticipation. 

His phone buzzes with a vibration and TK fishes it out from between the couch pillows. He almost doesn’t want to check the message but he can’t not, in the end.  _ yeah that works _ , Pat has sent. It reads unbearably chill, the exact opposite of how TK feels. 

Pat is still typing, and a few seconds later another message pops up:  _ you are way better than my econ homework.  _

TK reads that message three times, he swears. He knows Pat likes him - he doesn’t think he’d be talking to TK all this time if he didn’t - but the confirmation is still kind of nice. Makes TK warm all over. No big deal. 

_ also  _ 🍣, Pat adds, a third message. 

TK huffs and it turns into a chuckle.  _ glad to know where i rank _ , he jokes, and follows it up with a question about where Pat wants TK to pick him up from. Pat argues that he has no problem meeting TK at the sushi place instead, so the two of them go back and forth on that for a bit, until TK has an incoming facetime call from Pat. 

“I seriously have no problem,” is how TK picks up, and he can see Patty roll his eyes. He’s out again, walking, and the video shakes but not enough so that TK can’t see his face clearly. 

“I don’t get in cars with strangers, Travis,” Pat argues, which TK hadn’t even considered. He doesn’t sound annoyed about it, just chill. “And you shouldn’t either, for the record.” Pat looks at the screen of his phone as he says that, looks at TK, and TK is glad he’s not wearing his sunglasses from this morning. 

“I’m a stranger?” TK asks, mostly to keep himself from blurting out all the other things he wants to say, like how good Patty looks and how nice his grey sweater looks on him, which - grey is not even a good color, TK should tone it the fuck down. He clears his throat and adds, “I’m kind of hurt, not gonna lie.”

Pat shakes his head a little, but the corners of his mouth are titles upwards, a half smile, maybe. “People I haven’t met face to face yet, whatever,” he amends. 

Pat has a point, TK knows, and if he’s worried about his safety then TK doesn’t really want to work to change his mind. “Okay,” he concedes. “But at least let’s go somewhere closer to - wait,” TK stops abruptly, realizing he doesn’t actually know where Pat lives.

Pat looks amused by this more than anything. He’s actually smiling now, and then he stops somewhere and TK can see him getting into a building. “UPenn and I live on campus,” he offers. He starts walking up a flight of stairs, the phone moving up and down a little as he goes. 

“Got it.” TK opens yelp on his phone and starts looking through sushi places. The campus actually isn’t too far from TK’s place so TK doesn’t feel excessively bad about Pat taking the bus. 

TK starts listing off the sushi places he finds to Pat, only stopping about a handful in when Pat chuckles. TK taps on the facetime window to go back to their video call, and finds Patty smiling where he’s leaning against a plain wall. 

“Trav,” he starts. His voice is deep, TK notices, not for the first time, and he likes how it curls around his name. “I seriously don’t mind, I live off cafeteria food,” he goes on. 

TK is so stuck on the  _ Trav  _ bit that he forgets how to form words for a moment. When he finally remembers, he says, “Yeah, ok,” like a loser. 

Pat chuckles again. They both stay like that for a moment, and there’s a loud bang from Pat’s end, like a door slamming shut. It’s followed by some incoherent loud voices, and TK can see Pat roll his eyes. 

“This building, I swear,” he mutters. The voices start getting closer, so Pat tells TK he has to go. They settle on a time that works for both of them - TK to psych himself up and Pat to get his homework over with - and then Pat says, “See ya,” and ends the call. 

TK stays staring at his phone screen for a hot second, and then figures he should make the best of the four hours he has until he meets Pat.

+

The problem is, TK realizes after he’s gone through three different outfits, that he hasn’t got a single clue what dating even is. Of course he’s been on a couple of dates, but that was in high school and also made it terribly apparent to him that girls weren’t his target group. And he seriously doubts rushed handjobs in a club bathroom qualify as dating, so - he’s at a bit of a loss.

He thinks jeans for sure, but he’s got a lot of pairs. He knows a couple of them make his ass look good this early in the season, but would he look like he’s trying too hard? And if he pairs them with a button down that is definitely trying too hard but a hoodie seems - casual, too much so. 

TK flops onto his clothing-covered bed with a groan. He’s exhausted and he’s just trying on clothes, hasn’t even gotten to working himself up over date conversation starters or whatever, and isn’t that a terrifying little thought. 

TK eventually reaches for his phone, and his thumb hovers Hartsy’s number - but Hartsy, TK is pretty sure, will never let him live this down. Haysie for his part has barely been on a date ever in his life that doesn’t consist of, like, competitive beer drinking and then making out, so he’s essentially disqualified as well. 

Ghost has been with Gina for a really long time, but TK worries his ideas will be too romantic, and whatever TK tells Ghost will end up on the group chat anyway. Which leaves TK with some truly sad options, the least of which is G. TK is loathe to do this, but he opens his message thread with G.

_ what do you wear on a first date?? _ TK texts him. He fishes a hanger from under his back so he can be more comfortable and waits for G’s answer. 

It takes G a couple of minutes to read the message, and then he just calls TK instead of texting like a regular person. “Who’s going on a date?” he asks. 

TK makes a pitiful noise into the phone. “Me,” he says, “Who else could it be?”

“Ah!” G says, suddenly very invested. “Okay, where are you guys going?”

“Sushi,” TK says, “Casual place.”

“Oh,” G says. He hums thoughtfully for a moment and then says, “Just wear whatever, but make sure it’s, like, clean and stuff.”

“ _ What? _ ” TK hisses. He shoots up from his bed of clothes and glares at nothing in particular. “That’s not helpful at all,” he points out, because this is not the type of dating wisdom he called G for. 

“Sure it is,” G argues. “Really rules out most of your clothes,” he says. 

“I hate you,” TK says. 

“Teeks, seriously,” G starts. “Clothes are just clothes - just don’t say anything stupid and you’ll be fine,” he says. 

TK groans again. He doesn’t want to admit his lack of dating experience to G, so he just says, “That’s not helpful either.”

G just laughs into the phone. 

TK sighs. “I just - ” he starts, spends a good few seconds paused because he doesn’t know how to say this, and then blurts out, “Want them to like me.” TK cringes at the words as soon as they’re out, and his heart beats, like, extremely fast and hard against his ribs.

G is quiet for maybe three seconds and they feel like the longest three seconds of TK’s life. “They will,” he says eventually. TK doesn’t want to be emotional or anything, but G’s voice sounds warm. Kind of makes him feel better.

“And if you want to seal the deal, just wear something that won’t look stained when you drip soy sauce all over it,” G adds, and that’s probably the most helpful bit of information he’s given TK. 

“Yeah, that - I can do that,” TK says.  _ Probably _ , he thinks. 

“Good,” G says with conviction. It helps. “Now go wash your hair and charm them,” he adds. He hangs up the phone after that, while TK is chuckling, but TK is feeling a lot more confident. He takes a moment to text G, just a simple  _ thanks _ , and then goes to get his hair all squeaky-clean.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *bursts through the door two months later*: hi, would anyone like an update??? jk except not really!
> 
> [rl has been super busy lately with exams etc hence the late update. i really enjoy working on this story though, so i hope u guys like this chapter <33]

TK gets to the sushi place early enough that he’s got plenty of time to idle outside and work himself up. It’s not ideal, but he was too keyed up to sit around at home, so by the time he spots Pat he’s actually a nervous wreck. Doesn’t help that Pat is, like, extremely tall. 

That’s the first thing TK notices about him, as he watches Pat walk over to him, and the second one is the small, crooked smile Pat gives him. “Hi,” he says, standing in front of TK, and TK has to look  _ up _ , what the  _ hell _ ?

“Uhm,” TK says, because his brain has apparently turned to scrambled eggs sometime over the past few hours. What do people even say, he thinks, and manages to croak out, “Hi, it’s - uh, nice to meet you.” His voice sounds embarrassingly awkward, words pushed together sloppily, but Pat just chuckles. 

“Yeah, same,” he says. He’s still smiling, and there’s a good bit of space between them but TK still has to tilt his head to meet his eyes, and it’s - a trip.

It has him blurting out, “You’re, like, really tall,” against his better judgement, and then finds himself smiling like an idiot when Pat laughs. 

“I’m normal sized,” Pat argues easily. He seems to consider it for a moment and then he says, “You’re just bite sized, or something.” It’s all mumbly, very much like Pat on their phone calls, and it startles a laugh out of TK.

“I’m not,” he protests. It’s half-hearted but comfortable, almost like the ice is kind of broken. 

“Sure, dude,” Pat says, in this tone of voice like he’s indulging TK, and TK - likes that. 

HIs head is a little full, full of thoughts about Pat and how he matches up against the guy who TK has spent the last few days exchanging jokes and half-assed insults with, and it’s a little jarring but not bad. More like curious, like TK wants to know more about him so he can have a better idea of what to expect. 

“You hungry?” he finds himself asking, and feels proud that he managed to utter a full, reasonable sentence. 

“Yeah, obviously,” Pat says quickly. 

They move to step inside the restaurant, and they find a table tucked into one of the corners. There’s just two chairs, so they sit across from each other, and TK, like, gets stuck looking at the shadow of Pat’s lashes on his cheeks as the light hits his face. He tries to look away, but Pat is smiling behind his menu, and the smile makes his face light up attractively. 

TK reaches for his water and gulps down the whole glassful. He’s distantly aware of Pat watching him, with his blue eyes and his shaved clean face that makes TK wonder all sorts of things, mainly if Pat shaved just for him, and that’s - a thought. TK has been having a lot of those lately. 

“You really don’t do this often, huh?” Pat asks him. He’s given up reading the menu over and is instead just looking at TK. 

It’s not a bad feeling, Pat’s attention focused solely on him, but it does make TK’s face a little warm. “That obvious?” he asks.

“I mean, kind of,” Pat admits. It makes TK feel embarrassed, but Pat is quick to follow it up with, “But I like it.”

TK frowns a little. “The awkwardness?” he asks. 

Pat lightly kicks him under the table. “The - ” he starts, then cuts himself off, making a vague gesture in TK’s direction. “Honesty, whatever,” Pat eventually manages. His face is a little red and TK likes that. 

“Oh,” TK says, surprised. “Thanks, I guess?” he tries. 

Pat rolls his eyes at this. He asks TK what kind of sushi he likes, which turns into a whole discussion about fish and fishing, which in turns turns into them talking about hunting. TK is not sure about the progression of the conversation, but he’s surprised he and Pat have this much in common.

TK is kind of bummed when the waitress comes to take their order, mostly because it means they need to stop talking, but it’s just as easy to jump back into it once she’s taken their orders and menus back. TK asks Pat about his econ homework, which makes Pat groan and runs a hand through his longish hair. 

“You definitely don’t want to hear about that,” he says, sounding awkward for maybe the first time since they met face to face.

TK kicks him under the table and says, “Try me.”

Patty looks doubtful but he does try TK. He’s mumbly about it at first, but after TK asks him a couple of questions about his classes he loosens up and actually starts talking at an audible volume again. 

Pat then asks TK about this morning’s video review. He sounds a little awkward, hesitant like he’s not sure if he should be asking in the first place, which TK doesn’t really like. He compensates for whatever he did to make Patty think that by telling him about it in excruciating detail. 

TK even tells him about Hartsy and Haysie and how they thought he was hiding someone in his apartment this morning. He can feel himself starting to blush, like, halfway through the story just because Pat is watching him so intensely, but then Pat bursts out laughing at the bit about Haysie eating TK’s leftover eggs and TK relaxes.

“So,” Pat starts after. He pauses to dip his sushi roll into some soy sauce and asks, “You’ve been on your phone a lot?”

TK can feel his face heat at the question, so he deflects. “You haven’t?”

“No, I definitely have,” Pat admits. He smiles and adds, “And not just for the thirst traps.”

That makes TK happy in a sort of way he doesn’t feel up to processing right now. “Oh, okay,” he says uselessly. “That’s good to know.”

“That’s good to know,” Pat mocks with a huff. He goes to kick TK again but TK catches Pat’s foot between his own and then just - holds it there.

“Me, too,” TK admits. “On my phone way too much,” he explains when Pat just looks at him curiously. 

“Oh.” Pat ducks his head. He’s blushing now for real, a vivid red overtaking his cheeks. It looks really good on him. “It’s good we’re on the same page,” he says, which is probably an understatement. 

They go back and forth a little longer, order another plate of sushi rolls, and then TK can’t  _ not  _ ask any longer. He’s been trying his best to ignore the whole  _ $sugar _ part or  _ $sugar Swipe _ because it makes him feel kind of skeevy but at the same time he kind of needs to know, like, how it works. 

He angsts for a minute about how to phrase it and then just asks, “Have you done this before?”

Pat gives him a weird look. “What? Been on a date?” 

“With someone from the app, yeah,” TK explains. He feels awkward about it but he knows - despite his limited dating experience - that they need to be on the same page about this.

Pat squints at him. “Are you gonna be weird about my answer?” he asks, which kind of takes TK by surprise. 

“What?  _ No _ ,” he says with emphasis. “I asked, why would I be weird?” he reasons. 

Pat shrugs. He looks awkward again and TK squeezes his calf where he’s got it trapped between his ankles. Pat gives him a small smile. “Couple of times,” he says, but he sounds hesitant still. 

“I’m only asking because - ” TK cuts himself off with a shrug. “Like, I have never done this before, so I don’t know how it works,” he explains. After a moment he adds, “And I don’t want to screw up by accident.” He thinks that last part might be too revealing, but - whatever, they’ve made it this far.

Pat looks surprised, actually surprised, his eyes wide and his mouth kind of slack. 

TK starts to worry he said too much; maybe he fucked up and made it extremely awkward now or something. “I mean, maybe that’s - ” he starts to backtrack, but Pat cuts him off. 

“No, that’s cool,” he says quickly. “It’s good thinking.” He gives TK a smile, small one, but goes on to explain. He uses the words  _ financial stability _ a lot, which TK thinks may be code for something, but then again he’s not too well parsed in this. Pat doesn’t mention gifts at all, or anything of the sort, at which point TK realizes his view on -  _ sugaring _ , he supposes - is a little skewed.

He decides to ask about it, because honesty goes both ways. “I thought - you know, there would be gifts involved?”

Pat just shrugs. “If you want,” he says. “But I’m more interested in the financial aspect, it just works better for me.” He’s kind of mumbly about, has been throughout the whole conversation. 

“Financial stability is like…” TK prompts. 

Pat huffs. “An allowance,” he explains. 

“Oh,” TK says, before he can help it. It’s not, like, the money aspect that doesn't sit well with him - not in itself at least. He has the new contract now, so he can afford it, it’s just - it’s what the money entails; how it kind of puts the two of them in uneven positions.

“Travis,” Pat says, at some point, which is when TK realizes he’s been staring at nothing for a whole minute or two.

He turns to look at Pat, and Pat looks uncomfortable again. He’s smiling still but it’s a little tight, and the wrongness of that won’t leave TK alone. “Sorry, spaced out,” TK says. 

They look at each other for a moment, and TK is intensely aware of Pat’s twitching leg between his own. He wants to say - something, something that will wipe the tight look from Pat’s face, but he’s got nothing. 

“What do you want out of this?” Pat finally asks. He sounds a little tired, so TK takes his foot out of his mouth and tries to be a big boy. 

He takes a breath, sets his gaze on the last three sushi rolls between them. “I’ve never dated before, so I guess I would just like that.” TK pauses, uncertain of how to phrase the next part.

Pat doesn’t push but his leg is jiggling under the table. TK doesn’t move away. 

“And I like you, but - wouldn't this be a little one-sided?” TK asks, gesturing between them. 

Pat gives TK a look, frowny. “I mean, I’m the one who messaged you, so…” he trails off, like the rest is self-explanatory. 

“Yeah,” TK says, but even he can tell he sounds unconvinced. 

Pat makes a huffy noise. “Dude,” he starts. “You gotta, like, trust me,” he says. 

That surprises TK into looking away from the sushi and up at Pat. He’s got a soft look on his face, kind of open, more open than TK usually sees from him.

“I wouldn't be here if I didn’t want to,” Pat adds.

TK wants to be embarrassed that he needs this type of reassurance, but mostly he’s just relieved. He breathes out and presses his ankle against Pat’s and the jiggling stops. They look at each other for a few long seconds, and it’s intense; TK looks away first.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, though he feels lighter now. “Kind of ruined the ‘mood’.” He even does the air-quotes around  _ mood _ .

Pat snorts. He reaches for his chopsticks and grabs one of the last three rolls, pushes into his mouth. He chews, slow, and then says, “I can think of a couple of ways you could make it up to me.” He’s mumbly about it but he’s smiling, less tight now. 

TK’s stomach does a weird swooping thing. He can feel his face heat and he smiles. “Smooth,” he says. 

Pat shrugs. He seems more comfortable now, either because they’ve cleared some things up or since they’ve changed the subject, TK doesn’t know. He likes it, though. “If you want,” Pat just says. 

And TK, in this moment, remembers his reaction to all the pics Pat sent him - of his face and his tensed thighs, stretched out legs - and he  _ wants _ . It’s an intense feeling, gets his stomach all tight right along with his chest, and TK just tries to breathe through it. 

Patty is still watching him, gaze all focused. TK meets his eyes and says, “Yeah, let’s go.”

+

The ride back to TK’s apartment is short but a little tense, at least until TK puts on some music and Pat starts laughing. Like, legitimately laughing, loud and amused. TK would be offended except he likes the sound a whole lot. 

“You got a problem with country?” TK asks, not because this is a hill he’s willing to die on but rather because he wants to get Pat talking again. 

Pat gives him a look, eyebrows raised and mouth stretched wide and everything. “Yeah, no,” he says, and decisively changes back to radio. He flicks through the stations for a minute or two before finally settling on some one that TK would generously describe as hipster radio at best. 

“Seriously?” TK makes a face at whatever song comes on, mellow and, like, sad sounding. 

“It’s called quality,” Pat says. 

TK snots. “More like depression,” he mutters under his breath. 

He’s sure Pat hears him but he doesn’t comment on it beyond a chuckle, so TK doesn’t change the station. It’s a short ride anyway, less than ten minutes, and then TK’s pulling into the building’s underground garage.

They’re riding the elevator when TK realizes, with a full bodied jerk, that he didn’t think to tidy up, like, at all. Pat gives him a strange look at the movement, asks, “All good?”

The elevator comes to a halt and they step out. “Oh, yeah, yeah,” TK lies with a scoff. He is pretty sure he left his dirty socks somewhere by the coffee table and also he never bothered to pick the clothes up from his bed. 

“Actually,” he starts, “Do you mind waiting here for a moment while I - ” TK clears his throat, trying to figure out how to put this nicely. “Do something?”

Pat narrows his eyes. “What do you want to do?” he asks. They’re standing pretty close. 

TK makes a rushed noise. “Nothing - just, like.” he gestures at the door. He really doesn’t want Patty to think he’s some type of gremlin, or whatever. 

Pat looks unconvinced. Also a little worried, if the scrunch of his face is anything to go by, and TK does not like that.

He makes a huffy noise and explains, “I just want to clean up some stuff.”

Pat looks surprised by this. “Oh,” he says. There’s a moment, and then he takes a step closer to TK. TK is half leaning against the door and he just looks up at Patty to meet his eyes. They’re even closer now, TK is intensely aware of this. 

Pat looks down at him and smiles, a crooked thing. His eyes are bright. “You want to tidy up for me?” he asks. 

It’s just a question, nothing incriminating, but it’s the way he says it. It has TK pushing fully off the door, getting all up in Pat’s space. Their chests are almost touching. “What if I do?” TK asks, voice quiet. 

Pat chuckles. He’s still smiling and his hair is all over the place because he spent the whole dinner running his hand through it. “I’d like that,” he admits, mumbly again. “But…” he trails off like he’s considering what he'll say next.

TK isn’t sure about where this is going but he’s got an idea. He can feel himself start to breathe a little harder, and he thinks about pressing against Pat for real.

“I’d like it if you kissed me more,” Pat finally says. His voice is low and he doesn’t bother enunciating the words, like, at all, and TK wants to feel Pat mumble into his mouth already. Realizes he can have that, too, and that’s a rush. 

TK blinks up at Pat, slow. Pat’s whole face is red, TK can tell even in the dim lighting of the hallway, but his cheeks have taken the worst of it. “Yeah, that’d be - ” TK starts, then cuts himself off with a sharp breath. Shakes his head.

There’s something to be said about words being overrated, here, so TK reaches out to grab onto Pat’s hoodie. He doesn’t pull harshly, just tugs, and Pat goes with it, leaning more into TK’s space. TK looks up and he can definitely hear Pat’s breath now, imagines he can feel it, too, almost against his lips. 

“That’d be nice,” he finishes. He stays still just long enough to feel and hear Pat’s snort, and then TK leans up and kisses him. It’s not, like, prefect - Patty is tall and TK has to go up on his tiptoes - but then Pat cranes his neck down and they’re kissing properly and that’s - it’s fucking better than  _ nice _ .

Pat moves in even closer, and their chests are touching now, TK’s hand squeezed between them where it’s clutching onto Pat’s hoodie. TK realizes and lets go, his hand hovering instead just over Pat’s shoulder. Then Pat presses harder against him, presses TK against the door, and TK let’s his fingers slip into Pat’s hair, and it’s just as soft as he’d imagined. 

Pat makes a noise against TK’s lips when TK pulls a little on his hair, and his hands come to settle on TK’s hair. TK is vividly aware that they’re still standing right outside his apartment, and they should probably step inside, but he parts his lips and kisses Patty deeper and harder, until they’re both breathing roughly. 

“Still wanna clean up?” Pat pulls back to ask, mumbled but confident. 

TK half-heartedly slaps at Pat’s shoulder but doesn’t push him away. It’s a tight fit, fishing for his keys with Pat pressed so close to him, but TK manages. They both take off their shoes once they’re inside, and then TK leads them to the sitting room. 

There’s a stilted moment, and then TK asks, “You want a beer?” mostly out of awkwardness.

Pat seems a little taken with the view from TK’s windows but he nods. “Sure.”

TK heads off to the kitchen with that. His fridge is mostly empty food-wise but he’s got plenty of beer for when the boys come over, so he grabs a couple of those. He sits in front of the fridge for a moment after, trying to regain some type of chill.

Patty is still looking out the window when TK gets back. TK didn’t bother flicking on all of the lights once they came in, so the room is a little dim and the light falls on his face nicely. 

“Here you go.” TK offers Pat one of the beers, then asks, “You like the view?”

“Yeah, he looks good,” Pat says. He’s looking right at TK. 

TK gets it right away. He still stares at Pat for a long moment, his face heating with it, and then he chuckles nervously. “Funny,” he says. 

Pat shrugs, unbothered. He takes a sip from his beer. “You set me up for it,” he reasons.

TK holds his gaze for a moment before turning away so he can drink some of his own beer. “Guess I did,” he says.

TK can still feel Patty’s eyes on him, heavy. He wants - a lot of things. To look at Pat, kiss him, touch him; feel him. For a moment TK gets so caught up in wanting that he forgets he can have, now. Pat wants TK, he  _ likes  _ him, and TK has been missing out on this for long enough. 

He sets his beer down on the window sill and turns towards Pat, takes the one step he needs for them to be close again. Pat smiles down at him, sets his own beer down. His face is a little flushed, probably from the kissing TK thinks. He likes that. 

He wants to see more of it, too, so TK leans up, just a little, and then Patty chuckles and leans the rest of the way down and they’re kissing. TK lets out a breath and presses against him, and feels Patty’s hands wrap around him, dragging TK even closer. 

TK slips his fingers through Pat’s hair again, pulls a little to make him make that sound again, and Pat down, muffled against TK’s lips. He kisses TK deeper and TK lets him, and then Pat is nudging TK towards the vague direction of the couch. TK lets him do that, too, goes with it until the backs of his knees hit the couch and then he sits down on it.

TK has to look up at Patty like this, even more so than usual, but Patty is looking down, too, smiling a little. He nudges at TK’s shoulder to get him to sit back and then - he climbs onto TK’s lap, just plants his knees on either side of TK thighs and straddles him, and this is positively the hottest thing that has ever happened to TK. 

“Hi,” Pat says. He’s smiling, his face so, so red, and TK can’t not kiss him then. Pat makes a surprised sound against his lips, probably because this is the most forward TK has been all night, but he presses into it. He wraps his arm around TK’s neck and gets close to him, and TK has this outrageous thought that Patty smells really good. He wants to tell Patty, but more than he wants to kiss him. 

Wants to touch Patty, too, though TK doesn’t know where to start. He reaches out and moves his hands to Pat’s hips, and then his chest, fingers skirting over his ribs as Patty breathes. He wraps his arms around Pat’s chest and drags him closer, and Pat makes a surprised noise but goes easily. 

Pat’s fingers are in TK’s hair, tugging a little but mostly just there, and TK likes that. He likes Pat’s weight, too, and how it’s pressing him down; how warm Pat feels. This is the closest TK has been with anyone , it feels like, and for a moment all TK can focus on is the newness of it.

Then Patty starts making these sounds, low and cut off, and TK can’t think past them. He can feel Patty start to move, too, small, jerky rolls of his hips, so TK presses closer against him to feel how he’s hard. It’s a rush, TK thinks, and he grinds up into Patty a little. 

Pat makes another noise, pleased, and tugs on TK’s hair. TK moves back where Pat pulls, and then just stares at Pat’s red lips. He brings his hand up anc cups the side of Patty’s face, fingers curving over Patty’s cheek, and drags his thumb over Patty’s bottom lip. 

Pat has been watching him, and he smiles against TK’s finger. His lips are wet, and then his tongue darts out to lick over TK’s thumb, and TK breathes in sharply. 

“Fuck,” he says, “You - ” TK means to say - something - but then Pat closes his lips around TK’s thumb and TK cant’ do much more than stare, mouth hanging open a little and dick hard in his jeans. 

Patty pulls back after a moment, just a little, enough so that he can kiss TK’s thumb instead. “I’m what?” he asks. 

And TK’s brain is beyond scrambled by now but he finds it in him to say, “You’re so fucking hot.”

Pat laughs, a low, huffy thing. He gets up and slides onto the floor, and TK didn’t he could get harder from just watching him but it feels like he does. 

“I’m so fucking hot, huh?” Pat mumbles. He sounds amused more than anything but his voice is rough. His hands move to TK’s belt, undo it, and then his jeans. He undoes those too, first the button and then the zipper, and presses his hand against TK’s dick. 

TK swears, his whole body jerking with it. He makes a desperate noise and grinds up into Patty’s hand. Watches, unmoving, as Patty leans in and in, his eyes never leaving TK’s. 

TK makes another noise when he feels Pat’s mouth on him, on his dick over his boxers, but he tries to keep still. He can’t look away from Patty like this, on his knees between TK’s legs and mouthing at TK’s dick, and he can’t stop feeling him either, and it just feels like TK doesn’t have the capacity to withstand either of those. 

Then Patty says, “Elaborate,” and TK thinks he may actually lose it. His hand twitches on the couch and he just blinks down at Pat. 

“Elaborate what?” he asks dumbly. 

Patty pulls back long enough to smile, to hook his fingers into TKs’ boxers. “How fucking hot I look,” he explains. 

TK blinks again. Patty’s fingers are still, they don’t tug at all. “What?” he asks again, just as useless as before. 

Patty’s eyes are bright. “Tell me and I’ll suck you off,” he says. He does pull then, and TK lifts his hips enough that Pat can drag his underwear down. Pat doesn’t lean in or anything, just keeps looking at TK, and this is the moment TK realizes Patty is dead serious. 

“Oh my god,” he says. “You - you’re so - ” TK starts, doesn’t really have any way to possibly finish his sentence, but Pat leans in anyway. He wraps his fingers around TK’s dick and takes him into his mouth, and TK can feel his tongue and how warm his mouth is and it is so fucking good. 

“Oh god, Pats,” he says. He lets his fingers slip into Patty’s hair again and Pat makes a pleased sound at that and takes TK a little deeper, so TK keeps his hand there. He keeps looking down at Pat, too, and it’s not so hard to says, “You’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, holy shit,” because it’s the truth. 

TK gets to watch Patty’s eyes slip shut at that, his face growing impossibly redder, it looks like, and it’s almost easy to keep going. “Holy - you like this, huh,” TK says, not really a question. It’s just something he thinks, from the embarrassed sound Pat makes and how he goes even down even more on TK’s dick, so TK doesn’t let up.

“You like hearing you make me hot, Patty?” he asks. Patty’s not even looking at him, but he makes another choked off sound, so TK thinks he’s got it right. “You do, fuck, you make me so fucking hot,” he goes on and keeps on, words falling from his lips near constantly and definitely thoughtlessly becuase it’s tough to focus. 

Tough to focus on anything other than how good Pat’s mouth feels and how he keeps moaning around TK’s dick. TK stops trying, after a moment, just blurts out whatever he feels like saying, and Pat just takes it. 

His fingers dig into TK’s thighs when TK tells him, “You’re so good at this,” and then he moans again when TK tells him, “So fucking good for me.”

TK says, “You look fucking beautiful, babe,” at some point, and Patty chokes but doesn’t stop, and that is definitely the hottest thing that has ever happened to TK in his whole existence. He tells Pat he’s close, that he’s going to come, and then Pat pulls back. He looks up at TK from his knees, face so fucking red it’s blotchy with it, and TK comes looking down at him. 

Pat strokes him through it and makes a face at the mess after. TK chuckles, a little breathless still, and peels off his t-shirt. “Here,” he says.

Pat huffs but wipes his hand off on the t-shirt. He tosses it aside after but he doesn’t move to get up. He just looks at TK, and his mouth is - it’s red, same as his face only worse, and wet. TK looks at him until he can’t any more, until he has to lean in and kiss him. 

Pat makes a sound against TK’s lips, surprised, but he leans into it pretty quickly. He parts his lips after a moment, and TK licks into his mouth and thinks he can taste himself and that’s pretty hot. 

“Come on, what - ” TK starts, but Pat cuts him off.

“Kiss me,” he says. He sits up and sits across TK’s thighs again, and TK slips his hands into Patty’s soft hair and kisses him. Pat is making these sounds again, breathy and then choked off when TK gets his jeans undone and wraps a hand around his dick. 

“Should I keep talking?” TK asks, mostly teasing, but Pat makes another choked sound and buries his face in TK’s neck. TK can feel Pat’s breath against his skin, can feel how hard Pat is in his hand, and his mind is so fuzzy, suddenly. Fuzzy with want and all the things that he wants to say. 

TK can feel Patty starting to breathe harder against him, shivering a little when TK gets it just right, though, so TK just says, “Come on, baby,” and, “Come for me.” He kisses Pat’s temple, and his cheek, and feels Pat shake as he comes in TK’s hand. 

Pat breathes hard for a moment, and then he pulls back. TK runs his clean hand through his hair and kisses him, just a press of lips, until he can feel Pat’s lips stretch into a smile. 

“You want the t-shirt?” Pat asks. His voice is hoarse and TK gets stuck on that for the longest moment. 

“Oh, yeah, can you - ” TK says, once he’s gotten it together again. 

Pat chuckles but reaches for the t-shirt. He has to get off TK to grab it, which is unfortunate, but he sinks down on the couch next to TK after, close enough that their thighs touch. TK wipes his hand on the ruined t-shirt and tosses it aside again. He turns to Pat and feels - caught again, with all the things he wants and doesn’t know how to get. 

Pat looks loose, when he turns to TK, smiling softly still, and TK, in that moment, realizes he really likes this look on him. It’s not a striking realization or anything, but it does give TK the courage he needs to blurt out, “Do you want to stay over?”

Pat frowns, small enough that TK almost misses it. “Oh,” he says. TK thinks he might be surprised. “I kind of need to be up early,” Pat goes on. He looks away and explains, “Kind of didn’t finish my econ homework.”

TK smiles. He nudges at Pat’s side with his elbow. “I can drive you back to campus tomorrow morning,” he adds, to sweeten the deal. “I need to be up early for practice, anyway.”

“You don’t mind?” Pat asks. He’s looking at TK now, his face kind of red.

“I offered, duh,” TK points out. He considers it for a moment and adds, “I’ll even let you pick the music in the car.”

That makes Patty laugh, a soft sound. TK likes it - he likes a lot of things about Patty. “How can I possibly say no to that?” Pat mumbles, at which point TK has to focus really hard on not fistbumping any one in particular. He manages and he’s proud of it.

+

TK expects it to get awkward, once they’re in the bedroom, but Pat takes one look at TK’s king sized bed and just asks, “Which side do you sleep on?”

TK usually goes for the middle but he says, “Right side,” now. He watches Patty walk around to the left side so he moves to the right. “What time do you need to be back at campus?” TK asks him. 

Pat shrugs. “I can walk, or, like, take the bus -”

TK huffs. He gets under the covers and starts setting an alarm on his phone. “Dude, that’s stupid, I’ll be up anyway,” TK reasons.

Patty seems to consider that for a moment before shrugging. “Like, 8-ish?” he suggests.

“Yeah, I can do that,” TK says easily. It’s a little earlier than his usual wake up call but he doesn’t mind. 

TK waits for Patty to get under the covers, too, and then turns off the lights. It does get a little awkward then, if only because they’re both very purposefully still and quiet. TK tolerates it for, like, two minutes and then rolls over onto his side. He can make the outline of Patty’s face in the dark like this, the curve of his nose and then his cheekbone, as Pat turns to face him. 

TK thinks he should say something, now. He knows he wants to, and he’s got a lot of thoughts, but somehow what he ends up with is, “Do you like to be the big spoon or the little spoon?”

There’s a second and then Pat is chuckling. It’s bright and surprised. “What do you think?” he asks. 

“I - ” TK cuts himself off. “Wait,” he says. “Is this a test?”

Pat laughs again. He scoots a little closer to TK. “Maybe,” he says. 

TK laughs, too, but he kicks Patty under the covers. “Dick,” he says. He thinks about it for a moment and then shifts closer to Patty, close enough that their heads are almost on the same pillow. “Turn around,” TK says, more quiet now. 

His eyes have adjusted, so TK can make out Patty’s smile at that. He just looks at TK for a few seconds and then huffs. “Yeah, okay,” he says, rolling over onto his other side. He moves back a little then, until his back is almost against TK’s chest and TK can feel the heat seeping from him. 

“But just for the record, I like both,” Patty mumbles over his shoulder at TK. 

TK throws an arm over Patty’s side, curls his legs behind Patty’s. “Noted,” he says. He takes a breath, into the back of Pat’s neck, and Pat still smells so good. “Next time,” TK promises. 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soo, this is updating slower than i had intended haha. rl and uni are kicking my ass like my ass has never been kicked before so i stopped working on this for a bit, but then i decided that this story makes me happy and found some time. shorter chapter this time, but i hope the next one can be longer. 
> 
> thank you all for sticking around <3

The next morning, TK does let Pat pick the music in the car. He’s not surprised when Pat once again settles on something distinctly indie, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to make fun of him for it either. Pat for his part takes it in stride, gives back just as good, thoroughly insulting TK’s taste and the whole genre of country, too. 

They get stuck in traffic at some point, a few miles away from campus, and that’s when TK finds the courage to bring it up. “So,” he starts, and his voice is only a little bit choked. Still very awkward though. “The allowance you mentioned,” TK goes on, “How will that work?”

Patty was looking at TK, but he turns towards the window now. TK turns to him and his body is weird, kind of rigid. TK, for a moment, gets this terrifying thought that he messed up, somewhere between last night and this morning, or just on the date, yesterday. He hurries to add, “If you’re still into that, I mean, I -- I don’t want to pressure you, or --” He's mostly stumbling over his words instead of making a coherent point, and Patty finally takes pity on him. 

“How does every month sound?” he says. His voice is a little tight, but TK remembers how he got all awkward talking about money last night too, and figures the subject must make him uncomfortable. He thinks that makes two of them, but he knows they should get through this. 

“Whatever works for you,” TK is quick to say, and means it. He had a ton of fun last night, and more than that he has enjoyed talking to Patty a lot -- maybe too much. He doesn’t want to stop. 

“Ok, then.” Pat nods. He pulls out his phone and a few seconds later TK’s phone vibrates with a text -- Pat’s paypal account. 

TK lets out a breath. He’s trying to come up with a discreet way of asking how much he should be transferring, but Patty beats him to it. 

It’s not much -- or, TK doesn’t think it’s much, at least. Patty’s already sounding strained enough though, so TK doesn’t argue. The car in front of them finally starts, and TK steps on the gas. They were closer to campus than TK thought, and he’s a little sad when he has to put the car in park. 

“So,” Patty starts, and his hand is on the door. “I’ll talk to you later?” he says, and his voice tilts up at the end, a little uncertain. 

TK hates that. “Absolutely,” he says. He wants to reach across the console and kiss Pat, but that feels foreign. Then again, his windows are tinted and there is no one around, so TK reaches for Pattys’ shoulder. Patty stills, not in a rigid way, and TK’s heart beats very hard in his chest. Patty smiles, and then TK leans in and presses their lips together. 

It’s brief; chaste. Has TK’s stomach all tight and light at the same time. 

“See ya,” he says, pulling back, and looks forward to it. 

+

TK meant it, is the thing, except their schedules don’t quite align over the next few days. TK has back to back games on Sunday and Monday, and Pat has class so TK is hesitant to suggest another date. They keep texting though, and that, little as it sounds, is the highlight of TK’s days, probably. 

They don’t talk about anything in particular, TK grumbles a lot about waking up early for video review, and Pat complains about how bad the cafeteria food is. 

_ another day, another bony chicken _ , he tells TK, and that’s how TK gets the idea. He drives by his favorite italian place that he knows does delivery after practice, gets too much food and gives them Patty’s campus address. He gets some for himself, too, and is mostly finished with it when Pat facetimes him a little while later. 

“Hey,” he starts with, and then, “So, someone dropped off a bunch of food for me.” 

TK smiles. He leans back on the couch and asks, “Is that so?”

“Yes,” Patty says. He’s biting his lip like he’s trying not to smile but also he’s failing miserably at it. 

“Any idea who it might be?” TK teases.

Patty rolls his eyes. “Maybe,” he says. “Thank you,” he follows it up with, and TK sees how his face heats up a little bit. He kind of wishes he weren’t seeing it through his phone screen; wishes Patty were here and they could eat together. 

“You’re welcome,” he says. His voice sounds a little dopey with it but he can’t much care. 

Patty looks at him for a moment, and then he asks, “What are you doing tonight?” 

“You,” TK says, not really thinking about it. He smiles right after, at how red Patty’s cheeks get. “If you’re up to it.”

Patty raises both brows at him. “ _ If _ I’m up to it?” he challenges. 

TK doesn’t know if he’s stopped smiling at all while on this call. “Yes, you know, wouldn’t want to tire you out.” He waggles his eyebrows at Patty. 

Patty gives him a look. “How does 7 sound?”

“Perfect.”

+

TK mostly tries to make time go faster after that. He’s not quite as nervous this time, but he still ditches his in house, ratty sweats for a slightly uncomfortable pair of jeans that at least looks good on him, and then drives to the store to stock up on beer. He’s in line to pay when he realizes Patty might not like beer, at which point he heads to the beverage aisle and almost has a full blown melt down. 

The options are many and scattered, and TK realizes he has no idea what Patty might like, but it’s nearing 6:30 and TK needs to think fast. This, at least, he’s good at. He reaches for some soda and then sparkling water, some lime flavored coca-cola and some sprite, and just hopes for the best. He at least doesn’t drop any of the bottles on the way to his car, which he’ll graciously count as a win. 

It’s almost seven by the time he makes it home, so he has to hurry taking the elevator up to his apartment, but then he remembers he left the chips in his car because he was so preoccupied with the drinks. He groans, turns to grab his keys again but his doorbell chimes, and TK starts full-on sweating. 

He checks his watch; 7:06. Debates whether he should get the door, hurry down the stairs to the garage and then rush back up too many flights of stairs, or maybe he should just take the elevator and meet Patty downstairs, but then won’t he sound like an idiot, admitting he forgot the chips.

The door chimes again. 

“Fuck,” TK groans, and hits the little key button to let Patty up. He decides he can probably get it back together by the time Patty makes it upstairs, but TK seriously underestimated how much the building invested in getting a super fast elevator. 

The bell rings again, the apartment door this time, and TK opens it without giving himself a chance to think about it -- even more, that is. 

Patty looks -- he looks chill as hell. It’s unfair. TK thinks he’s sweating more than when he’s on the ice, and here Patty is, tall and handsome and very much unbothered by the whole chip situation. He’s smiling, too, at least at first because then he must actually take in the look on TK’s face because he asks, “Are you ok?”

TK, literally, is so bad at this. “I left the chips in the car,” he blurts out, and is fully, utterly aware of how stupid it sounds. 

“Uhm.” Patty frowns, uncomprehending. Which makes sense. He doesn’t know TK got six different bags of chips and left them all in his trunk.

“I got some chips,” TK explains. He thinks his face is getting red. “And I left them in the car.”

“Oh, ok,” Pat says easily. Then, when TK’s presumably embarrassed face doesn’t change, he adds, “We can go get them?” It’s a question, much like he’s not sure if it’s the right answer. 

God, TK is an idiot. “Yeah, sure,” he sighs. He moves to step outside but Patty stays still, blocking his exit. 

“Hey,” he says. He lays his hand on TK’s shoulder. “Are you -- like, that’s what’s got you twisted?”

TK huffs. It’s even stupider out loud. Instead of answering, he just offers, “I don’t do this often.” His voice sounds miserable, and his ears are burning something fierce. “I just wanted to get the right chips.” He shrugs. 

Pat is quiet -- too quiet. TK was looking at his shoes, but now he looks up and Patty, he seems kind of -- moved. Like, his cheeks are red, which actually has TK feeling less embarrassed about his current situation, and he’s kind of smiling. His eyes are kind and open. 

“Thanks,” Pat grunts. He seems to consider it for a moment and then he takes one more step into the apartment, closes the door behind himself. TK is still kind of stuck on the chips, which is why he makes this surprised, choked sound when Patty leans in and kisses him. 

“That was very nice of you,” Patty says, once he pulls back. It’s gruff, no question about it, but TK has come to understand that’s just Patty’s default voice when something makes him emotional or whatever. 

TK smiles. He lets out a breath and feels the tension of the whole afternoon seep out of him. “Yeah?” 

Pat gives him a pleased look. “Yes,” he says. “We can get them later, I want to kiss you now,” he adds, and TK has never met a plan he was more on board with before. 

“A-okay,” he says. He smiles at Pat and takes his hand, waits for him to take off his shoes and then his jacket before leading him to the living room. TK kind of stalls once they’re there, but Pat just sits on the couch and drags TK down with him, until they’re sitting next to each other, pressed together from thigh to shoulder. 

“Do you want --” TK starts, wanting to fill the space, but Patty just turns to him and presses their lips together, slow and light, almost tentative. TK breathes out from his nose and kisses him back, a little harder, his fingers slipping through Patty’s hair, pulling him closer. Patty goes with it easily, and it’s pretty soon they’re kissing deeper, TK’s tongue slipping past Patty’s lips and into his mouth. 

Patty makes these sounds as they kiss, tiny little breaths, and TK is so into that that he can’t even put it into words. Instead he pulls back, just a little, and moves to straddle Patty’s thighs. He’s kind of cursing himself for wearing jeans at this point, but then Patty’s hands settle on his thighs, move up to his sides, and TK is shivering all over. 

TK gets to look down at Pat like this, and that’s a high on its own, has him leaning down to press their lips together again, pick up where they left off. Patty’s hands slip under his hoodie then, fingers spreading over TK’s hips, and they feel a little cold but TK is burning hot all over, at this point. He threads his fingers through Patty’s long, soft hair, and tries to kiss him deeper where there’s no deeper to get. 

TK worries he’s being too demanding, but Pat just moves with it, dragging his teeth over TK’s lips and urging him on, and TK is breathing hard, his ears burning but in a totally different way now. He can feel Patty’s hands moving up his back, then over his waist, and TK leans into that, too. Patty’s hands are soft, way softer than TK’s own, and they feel nice, have TK moving into the touch. 

Their kisses slow down after that, the urgency drifting away, until they’re basically just sitting like that eventually, tangled up in each other with their foreheads touching. Neither of them has said anything, but it doesn’t feel awkward. TK, because he wants to, turns and presses a kiss into Patty’s cheek. 

Patty hums; it sounds pleased. His hands are still wrapped around TK. “Do you want to go get them now?” he asks. 

It takes TK a moment, to catch on, and then he chuckles. “Yeah, sure.”

+

They end up back on the couch once they get back, close together with a bag of chips on each of their laps. The TV is playing a movie Patty chose but TK is pretty into, and once they finish with the chips, TK orders them some pizza. They pause the movie to eat, and when Patty gets a little messy with the pizza and ends up with some sauce on his chin, TK reaches out and swipes his thumb over it. Patty blushes terribly right after, and TK has to lean over the pizza box between them to kiss him. 

It gets heated pretty quick, though it’s a little awkward with the pizza taking up space. TK moves back to set it aside but Pat gets up instead. He hooks his fingers in his hoodie and takes it off, and then he’s just in his t-shirt and jeans and muscled arms.

TK stares maybe, like, three seconds too long. His mouth feels a little dry. He sets the pizza down and gets up too. 

“You wanna?” Patty mumbles with a grin, and TK wanted to, like, three hours ago. 

He nods, tries not to seem too eager about it but then thinks  _ fuck that _ and takes Pat’s hand to walk him to the bedroom. They strip of most of their clothes on the way there, and they’re kissing again. TK blindly reaches for the light switches and hits two of them so the bedroom is lit but dimly, and then he nudges Patty towards the bed. Has him sit on the edge and gets on his knees, all the while not taking his eyes off of him. 

Patty’s hot on any given occasion, but he’s even hotter now, looking down at TK with dark eyes and red lips, mostly naked. TK gets a little lost looking at him, and when he finally reaches out to touch him, his hands on Pat’s knees, Pat lets out a breath. TK can see he’s hard through his boxers, and it’s pleasing to know TK can have this effect on him; that it can go both ways. 

TK moves his hands a little higher, Patty’s leg hair dragging under his palms, and then higher still. Patty’s legs are quivering, just slightly, and TK says, “I haven’t really done this much,” which is only a little bit of a lie. 

“Yeah, okay,” Patty says. His voice is soft but the way he’s looking at TK -- his eyes are so dark. 

“Tell me if I like, bite you, or something,” TK jokes. 

Patty huffs, something close to a laugh maybe, and then he says, “Doubt that.”

TK grins. He slips his fingers under Patty’s boxers and pulls them down, wraps his fingers around Patty’s dick because this part at least is familiar. He leans in then, and he has no idea how he’s supposed to start but he remembers how he liked it, last time with Patty, so he tries to emulate that. 

Takes Patty into his mouth and wraps his lips around his dick, hears the shaky breath Patty takes in. TK looks up at him, goes down a little lower and watches Patty’s eyes flutter shut. He pulls back, and Patty’s hand settles on his head, fingers slipping through his hair. He’s not urging TK any particular way, so TK keeps doing just that, moving up and down on Patty’s dick until it feels like there’s spit everywhere. 

Patty’s fingers tighten in TK’s hair, just a bit, and he makes a sound, choked up. His thighs are shaking for real now so TK keeps going, a little faster and a little deeper until he chokes a couple of times. He has to pull back then, catch his breath, but Patty is looking down at him with parted lips and hazy eyes, and TK strokes him, just once, just to see if Patty’s eyes will slip shut. They do. 

“How am I doing?” he asks then, half to be a dick and half just plain honest. 

Patty tries to chuckle but it’s tight. “Really fucking good,” he says. He opens his eyes again, and TK holds his gaze as he takes Patty’s dick into his mouth again, as deep as he can. Patty’s breathing hard now, so TK moves a little faster, and pretty soon he’s got spit running down his cheek, dripping on his hand on Patty’s dick. 

Patty seems to be really into that. He says, “Just like that,” a couple of times, and that has TK’s face burning, his dick straining in his boxers. He takes Paty’s dick even deeper into his mouth, strains to make it good, and then Patty’s breathing hard for real. 

“I’m gonna, Trav,” he says, voice so, so strained. 

TK thinks that’s a high on its own. He pulls back, and starts jerking Patty off while he sucks on the head of his dick, and then Patty’s coming in his mouth, which is an even bigger high. 

TK swallows, keeps stroking Patty’s dick slowly until Patty is shivering, and then he pulls back, swipes his mouth on the back of his hand. He looks up at Patty and gets up, knees cracking, and then Patty is pulling him up into the bed, his hands everywhere on TK’s body as he kisses him. 

TK makes a choked noise when Patty finally gets a hand on his dick, starts stroking him off, and then just doesn’t stop, little sounds dropping from his lips near constantly, which should feel at least mildly embarrassing, he thinks, but ultimately doesn’t. Patty jerks him off until he comes, all over Patty’s hand and his stomach, and keeps kissing him while TK comes down from it. 

“Sorry,” TK says, once they pull apart. “Got you kind of messy.”

Patty looks completely unbothered by this. “It’s okay.” he says. He points to the bathroom and asks, “Can I?” while his hand low-key drips come between them. 

TK laughs. “Yeah, of course,” he says. 

Patty smiles, a big one, no lip biting to tone it down, and presses a kiss to TK’s cheek before heading to the bathroom. 

+

It’s gotten late, by the time they’ve both cleaned up in the shower, so TK puts up zero fight when Patty nudges him onto his side and fits himself snugly behind TK. 

“Do you have to be back early tomorrow?” TK asks through a yawn. He moves back a little, until he and Patty are touching all over, pretty much. 

“No, I’m good,” Patty murmurs. He sounds sleepy and his breath tickles where it ghosts over TK’s skin. “You?”

TK hums. “Late skate,” he says. 

“Mm, nice,” Patty murmurs. TK thinks Pat asks him something, after, but he’s too far gone to really respond to it. 

+

The next morning TK wakes up first. His alarm goes off with a vengeance and he reaches to turn it off as fast as he can. He wasn’t lying about the late skate, but the Flyers are leaving for a roadie tonight and he needs to pack. TK carefully gets himself out of bed and goes to get some coffee going. 

Patty’s is still not up when TK returns to the bedroom post coffee, which is just as good. TK knows Patty has an early morning most days, so he doesn’t want to wake him up until he absolutely has to. This does mean he needs to be extremely quiet making his bag for the roadie, but he manages fairly well -- until the tie rack, that is, which he somehow manages to knock onto the floor. 

The tie rack makes a sharp sound that has Patty’s eyes flying open. 

“Sorry,” TK is quick to say. He walks to the bed and sits on the edge of it, near Patty’s knees. 

Patty takes in the absolute mess of TK’s closet and rubs his eyes. “Moving out now that I know where you live?” he asks. His voice is rough with sleep. 

TK laughs. “No, loser,” he says, then explains the situation with the roadtrip. 

“Oh, shoot.” Patty sits up. “Should I --” he starts, but TK cuts him off. 

“Should you help me pick which ties?” he fills in. “Absolutely,” TK decides. 

Patty huffs something close to a laugh and pushes the covers off. TK offered him some clothes last night, but Patty declined the t-shirt, so now he’s just shirtless in TK’s bed, and isn't that a sight. 

TK maybe stares too long which has Patty snapping his fingers in front of TK’s face. “Huh?” TK asks. 

Patty’s smiling. “The ties,” he says and it sounds like he’s repeating himself, “What do you have?”


	5. Chapter 5

The roadtrip is a long one, nearly a week on the West coast, which is always good for team bonding. TK spends most of his time in someone else’s room, messing around on the XBox or playing cards with the guys. He’s pretty bad at both, but that doesn’t stop him from trashtalking until Sanny gets tired of it and tackles TK to the bed to shut him up. 

The guys have fun about it, and TK is pleasantly exhausted by the time he gets back to his room. He hadn’t thought to check his phone while he was losing his peanuts to Haysie, but he swipes down on his notification bar now, smiling when he sees a couple of texts from Patty. The first one is a pic, a selfie Pat snapped at his desk while he was studying. His hair is messy and he’s wearing a worn down hoodie, but the pic itself, it’s just -- comfy. TK likes that vibe on Pat. 

Underneath the photo, Pat has sent, _ if i have to read one more page i s2god 💀.  _

TK reads the massage and laughs, then spends a good few seconds checking the pic out. It was sent about 40 minutes ago, and it’s not that late in Philly, TK figures as he taps the facetime icon. 

Pat picks up on the third ring, not that TK counts. He’s smiling when his face shows up on the screen, and he’s dressed in the same hoodie as in the pic. “Hey,” he says. TK thinks he sounds a little tried, but he can tell from the background that Pat is still sitting at his desk. 

“Hi,” TK says. It sounds doppy. “How come you’re still awake?”

Patty shrugs. He stretches out his arms and gets up, starts moving towards the bed. “Had some reading to do,” he says. 

“You look tired,” TK says. 

Pat laughs. “Thanks,” he says easily. “Really sweet talking me, huh.”

“Shut up,” TK says. Then, a beat later, “You’re sweet enough as it is, anyway.”

Pat doesn’t react at first, but then a smile spreads over his face, small but languid. “That’s more like it,” he says. He’s lying back on his bed so TK does the same, getting comfortable against the pillows. 

“How was your day?” TK asks. 

Pat raises an eyebrow at him. “My day?” He smiles. “Kind of lonely without you,” he says. 

TK rolls his eyes, smiling, “No, come on, for real,” he says, which is how he goads Patty into telling him, in detail, about his obnoxious professor that he doesn’t like, and how he assigned them an obligatory term paper even though he’d originally said he wouldn’t. Honestly, half of Pat’s university stuff flies right over TK’s head, but TK still likes hearing Pat talk about it. 

“What did you do?” Pat asks, one he’s done addressing the matter of his professor, so TK gets into explaining to him how he sucks at cards. 

Patty laughs. “Not surprising,” he says. 

“Hey,” TK mocks offense, and demands Patty take that back right now. 

They go back and forth like that for a bit, until Patty’s yawning and TK feels guilty about keeping him up. TK regretfully lets Patty go then, and ends up falling asleep with his phone right next to his head, a smile on his face. 

+

When TK gets to the hotel lobby for team breakfast the next morning, Haysie has already saved him a spot at the table. He gestures loudly at TK in a way that he only knows how to to let him know, and then steals a ricecake off TK’s plate once TK has sat down. 

“That was mine,” TK says, though he knows it’s a lost cause with Haysie. 

Predictably, Haysie just smiles and keeps chewing, and TK gets to see more of his inner world than he’s ever wanted. “Thanks anyways, bud,” he says.

TK rolls his eyes and threatens to stab Haysie if he grabs another bite of his food. Haysie makes puppy eyes at him until TK shovels some of his eggs onto Haysie’s plate. “I don’t understand why you just don’t get more for yourself,” he says. 

“I like sharing with you,” Haysie argues. 

TK huffs. “I don’t,” he mumbles. 

Beezer comes to sit on Haysie’s other side at that point, starts vividly recounting this conversation that he had with a girl on tinder last night, and TK seizes the opportunity to snap a pic of his breakfast and send it to Patty. He hits send and catches Cartsy looking at him from the corner of his eye, though before TK can panic, Cartsy is already looking away. 

TK is back in his room halfway through getting dressed for practice when he gets Patty’s response.  _ cute eggs _ , he’s sent, and,  _ but i like your face better _ .

TK can feel his lips stretch into a smile at that. He sits down on the hotel bed and snaps a quick selfie, making sure to get some of his shoulder definition in frame.  _ better? _

_ 🥵🥵🥵 _ , Pat sends back, and follows it up with a pic of his own. It’s a mirror shot, and Patty is shirtless, a towel wrapped casually low around his hips, a razor in his hand. He has shaving foam on his face. TK’s brain almost short circuits. 

_ for real???? _ , he sends back, once he’s got motor function again.  _ i have to be on the bus in 20 _ .

_ so? 😇 _

TK smiles through the heat on his face.  _ i literally cannot have a boner on the team bus. _

_ sorry 😇,  _ Patty sends, and TK decides the halo has to be the most aggravating emoji on Pat’s keyboard. A photo follows it quickly after, this time of Patty’s face, a selfie, and he doesn’t look sorry at all. He’s biting his lip like he’s trying not to smile and his cheeks are red, probably from the shower. His hair is wet and he’s still -- infuriatingly -- got streaks of shaving cream on his cheeks. TK wants to help him shave and also do all sorts of other stuff. 

_ omg _ , he just types, eloquent.  _ i hate u _ .

_ sure _ , Patty sends back.  _ pick it up later tonight? _

TK scrolls up a little in their chat just so he can check the photo out again. Then scrolls back down because team, bus, etc.  _ yes _ , he just sends, closes the chat and goes to get the fuck ready for practice.

+

Practice runs a little later than usual, which means TK doesn’t have much time between getting back to the hotel and needing to get his nap in before tonight’s game, so he regretfully misses out on any more thirst traps from Patty. It’s kind of sad for him personally, but he does wake up to a good luck text from Pat, which is somehow just as good. 

The game goes well, the Flyers taking it 3 to 1 and TK putting up two points, so he is in good spirits in the locker room. He reaches for his phone as soon as he’s done with media, texts Patty,  _ you’re my good luck charm _ . 

TK heads for the showers before he can see if he’s gotten a response, but his phone vibrates twice as soon as he’s back. 

_ doubt that _ , Patty has sent.  _ u r just good _ .

TK reads the messages over twice and tries to ignore the way his stomach gets all light and fluttery. He knows he’s good -- he’s in the NHL -- but it’s just different to have it acknowledged by Patty. TK doesn’t want to look too closely as to why that is, because he’s obviously self-aware enough to know that he likes Patty, but he also doesn’t like to think about their arrangement too much because it still feels somewhat skeevy. 

So TK flirts back, playing it up.  _ is that so? _ he asks before setting his phone aside to actually get dressed because he doesn't want to be left at the Kings’ arena. 

_ yes.  _ Patty texts back. Then, a few seconds later, _ text me when u r back at the hotel _ .

And the message is not incriminating by any means, but it still has TK’s stomach tightening in anticipation. He types back a quick,  _ ok _ , and resumes getting dressed faster than he probably ever has. 

The ride back to the hotel still feels excruciating, especially with the traffic in Los Angeles, but somehow TK makes it through. He’s in his bed in just his button down and slacks when he sends Patty a pic of himself, mostly his legs, crossed at the ankle.  _ I'm here _ , he captions it.

It’s just a couple of minutes before Patty facetimes him, and then Pat’s smiling face is all over TK’s phone screen. “Hey you,” he says. The lights are all on in Patty’s room, and TK can make out that he’s lying down, can see his hair tucked into a messy bun. It’s hot. 

“Hi,” TK says. He smiles, then adds on an impulse, “Looking hot on this fine evening.”

Pat actually bites his lip at that, glancing away from the phone for a moment. “Shut up,” he mutters. 

“Don’t think so,” TK argues. He likes that he can elicit this reaction in Patty, likes that it’s not just one sided -- as much as it can, TK supposes. Still, he’s feeling brave. “You’re hot and I like telling you.”

Patty narrows his eyes. “Are you trying to get me in bed?” he asks. 

TK laughs. “Wish I could but I am on the west coast.”

Pat grins, waggling his eyebrows at TK. “There are possibly other ways you could get me in bed,” he says. 

And TK had an idea this is where they were headed but it still hits him like a punch to the gut, how real this feels. “Oh,” he says, mostly to cover it up, fill up the space. “And how might that be?”

Patty looks him dead in the eye. He asks, “What are you wearing?” and TK can’t help it, he bursts out laughing, Patty right there with him. 

“My game day pants,” TK answers, once he’s somewhat recovered. 

Patty hums. “Which tie did you wear?” he asks. 

TK almost grins but bites his lip halfway into it. “One of the ones you chose for me,” he says honestly. 

Patty’s smile widens at that. “Should have sent me a pic.”

TK makes a face. “I was late getting up,” he says. “Tomorrow.”

“I’m holding you to that.” Patty sighs, moving around a little on the bed. 

TK puts his arm behind his head and gets a little more comfortable. “I really liked the photo from this morning,” he admits. 

Patty’s eyes are wide and bright. “You were supposed to,” he says. Then, “What did you like about it?”

TK personally feels like that’s a loaded question, but he tries to approach it anyway. “Your abs,” he says. “And your face.” TK pauses before adding, “I wanted to help you shave.”

Patty’s eyes widen a little. He licks his lips. “I remembered that you liked that,” he says. “The clean-shaven look.”

TK shrugs. “I like you however you want to be,” he says easily, doesn't give himself any time to question it or think too hard about it. “But you have a nice face,” he goes on. “Clean-shaven looks good on you.”

Patty looks away at that. His face looks red and he’s biting his lip again. TK hasn’t forgotten about that first time at his apartment, how much Patty had liked it when TK doled out praise for him, so he goes on, laying it on thick but honest. “Naked, that looks good on you, too.”

Patty huffs at that, something close to a laugh. “Give me a sec,” he says, puts his phone down for a second so TK can only see the ceiling. When he picks it back up he’s shirtless, and TK gets a little lost looking at his skin, the expanse of his shoulders and the jut of his collarbones. 

“Better?” Patty asks. He’s got one raised eyebrow. 

TK swallows. “Yes,” he says thickly. “Really wish I was in Philly,” he admits. 

“What would you do?” Patty asks. “If we were together.”

“Fuck, Pats,” TK breathes out. “Anything,” he answers honestly. “I’d kiss you, your lips and everywhere else.”

On the screen of his phone, TK can see Pat’s arm flexing out of frame. He imagines Patty touching himself, pressing his hand against his hard dick while he’s just facetiming TK, and that’s doing it for TK an embarrassing amount. Has his own dick thickening up in his slacks as he takes Patty in, his flushed face and his lazy eyes. 

“Are you jerking off?” TK finds himself asking, mostly for the confirmation. 

Patty grins. “Yes,” he says. “You gonna do something about it?”

It’s the way Pat says it, a little challenging but mostly turned on, that has TK reaching for his belt buckle. Undoing it one-handed and shoving a hand in his briefs. He can see that Patty gets what he’s doing, in the shine of his eyes and how he licks his lips. 

“What else would you do?” Pat asks. “If you were here?”

TK strokes himself a couple of times, lazy, just thinking about it, and then he blurts out the first thing that came to his mind, abruptly honest. “Ask you to fuck me.”

“Jesus, Trav,” Patty says. His hand is moving out of frame still, and TK just wants to get his hands on him. “I’d really like that,” Pat goes on. 

This is all going to TK’s head, has his brain feeling all fuzzy and his dick just hard as a rock. “How would you do it?” he asks. 

“I’d make it good. So good,” Patty says. “Finger you first until you come,” he goes on. “Then I could eat you out.” Patty pauses and TK groans. He tightens his fingers around his dick and moves his hand a little faster, just thinking about it. “You’d like that, huh?” 

“I’ve never…” TK trails off, a bit because it just feels embarrassing to admit but mostly he’s having a hard time thinking straight right about now. 

“That’s ok,” Patty says easily. His voice has gotten rougher, his shoulder moving as he jerks himself off. “We can try it,” he says, and, “It’s hot that I can be your first,” which has TK’s eyes slipping shut, his hand moving even faster. 

“Yeah?” he mumbles because it felt good to hear it, worked off some of his embarrassment about it. 

“Fuck, Trav, you have no idea,” Pat mutters. TK can see his hand moving still, and he matches his own pace to it. “Flip the camera, I want to see,” Patty says. His voice is rough and short, like he’s getting close. 

TK fumbles with his phone and gets the camera flipped, makes sure his dick is in frame as he jerks himself off, and it’s not particularly doing it for him, not until he sees what it does to Patty anyway; how Patty bites his lip and screws his eyes on his phone like he doesn't want to miss anything. 

“Yeah, just like that,” Patty is saying, and other things along those lines, and TK’s face is getting so hot, his body straining as he gets closer. He moves his hand faster, makes his fist tighter, and gets to see the look on Pat’s face as he comes, how hungry Pat looks, and that’s so fucking hot. 

TK makes this sound when he comes, like his breath is punched out of him, and he hears Patty curse before his eyes fall shut, his hand slowing down as he comes, too. “Turn it, I want to see,” TK blurts out. 

Patty chuckles breathlessly before he switches to his back camera, and then it’s just his abs in TK’s phone, Patty’s come streaked across them, and that -- it’s a sight. “Jesus,” TK mutters. 

Patty laughs, a small thing, and switches to the front camera again. TK follows suit, grabbing some tissues from the bedside table to clean himself up with. 

“Did you mess up your pants?” Pat asks. He sounds thoughtful. 

TK takes a look and sure enough there’s some come on his zipper and the flaps of his slacks, which means he might as well burn them. He chuckles. “Yeah.”

Patty grins. He looks blissed out. “That’s hot.”

TK’s face still burns, from all the things Patty said, and this is not helping. “Shut up,” he mutters. 

Patty laughs again. “It is,” he argues. “Almost as hot as your goal,” he says. 

TK narrows his eyes. “You thought my goal was hot?” he teases. 

Pat looks at him a second too long and shrugs. “Decently so,” he says, voice even. 

TK bites his lip to keep himself from smiling too widely. “I’ll make sure to get a couple more, then,” he says. 

Pat smiles and purses his lips to drown it. “You better,” he says, and TK thinks, _ yeah, I better. _

+

It’s the Ducks after the Kings, then the Sharks. TK feels like he’s buzzing on the ice, manages to put up another two goals and an assist, and gets to come off the ice to  _ good job _ texts from Patty which is a buzz on its own. TK feels good getting off the plane at seven in the morning in Philly -- although tired -- and texts Pat to meet up later in the day. He’s driving to his condo when his phone buzzes with Patty’s response:  _ thought you’d never ask 🥰 _ , so TK’s in good spirits as he passes out in his bed later.

He wakes up to his phone ringing, not his alarm but Haysie calling him. TK reaches for it with uncoordinated hands and mutters into the phone that he’s sleeping. Haysie calls him sleeping beauty and tells him to get his ass out of bed. “We’re going pool table shopping,” he says, which TK doesn’t have the mental energy to decrypt, so he just makes a vague humming sound and goes back to sleep. 

TK wakes up for the second time to someone insistently ringing his doorbell. He blinks his eyes open at the sound, reaching for his phone to see if Pat has texted him about a change of plans or something, but it’s just noon and he’s got three missed calls from Haysie. This is where TK starts to piece it together, and he figures pool table shopping or whatever was actually real and not some type of fever dream. He groans and gets up. 

“Took you long enough,” Haysie mutters once TK has gotten the door for him. He’s grinning as he takes off his shoes by TK’s coat rack. 

“I was sleeping,” TK points out. He rubs a hand over his eyes and tries to look annoyed. 

Haysie doesn’t seem to really take that to heart. “And now you’re getting dressed,” he says. He puts his hands on his hips and looks pointedly towards TK’s bedroom, so TK gives up and goes to get ready for pool table shopping, which --

“Why do you even need a pool table?” he finds himself asking once they’re in Haysie’s car. 

“I have a big empty space in the living room, you idiot,” Haysie points out. 

TK turns to look at him. “Yes, it’s called a dining room,” he says. “Everyone has them.”

Haysie just shrugs and tells TK he needs to think bigger. TK lets it drop then because he knows arguing would be useless, and just tags along with Haysie to check out different pool tables that all look extremely alike. They’re at the fourth pool table that seems no different from all the rest when Haysie drops the bomb. “So, you’ve been on your phone a lot, lately,” he says. TK thinks he’s going for conversational but he somehow misses by a mile. 

TK stops in his tracks for a moment, but Haysie just keeps walking which forces TK to fall back in step and follow him. “Uhm,” he says, for lack of anything better. 

Haysie takes it upon himself to somehow continue this conversation. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he says. “Settling down can be fun!”

“Have you ever settled down once in your life?” TK asks, deadpan. His heart is beating a bit fast.

Haysie grins. He spreads his fingers over the wood edge of the pool table and strokes along it. “No, but I’m about to,” he says. “With this baby.” Haysie waggles his brows, too, which makes TK laugh out of nowhere. 

Haysie takes that as he cue to dig in deeper, somehow. “I’m just saying, whenever you’re ready the guys would be stoked to meet her,” he says. 

And that’s a bit sombering but -- touching, too. TK finds himself smiling, if only a little panicked because he’s still not sure how to mend this gap between Haysie thinking he’s dating a girl and TK actually kind of seeing Patty -- for a vague definition of seeing, anyway. And TK’s brain starts to hurt if he spends too long thinking about the particular logistics of seeing Patty in the first place, so he’s sure as hell not in a position to discuss this. 

“I don’t…” TK trails off, uncertain of how to fill in the rest of the sentence. 

“Whenever you’re ready!” Haysie clarifies. He sounds genuine and looks it, too. 

“Thanks, man,” TK just says, hoping Haysie will drop it, which he does. He goes on to ask TK about his opinion on the pool table of all things, and TK lets out a breath. This is touching, too. 

“It’s going to look sick with your new couch,” TK admits. 

Haysie smiles very widely and throws an arm over TK’s shoulder. “Exactly what I was thinking!”

+

After the odd heart to heart next to the collection of pool tables, Haysie drops TK off back at his condo. He asks TK if he’s coming over to hang with the guys tonight, then tells TK to have fun after TK explains to him, through a string of awkward words, that he’s got plans. TK can feel his face go a little red because of the entire situation, so he hurries out of the car. 

If anything, going shopping with Haysie meant that TK didn’t have time to panic-buy too many bags of chips before his date with Patty. Instead he’s just finished getting dressed after taking a shower when Pat shows up at his door. 

TK’s stomach does a weird thing when TK opens the door, getting all light and fluttery, then just drops abruptly, it feels like, when Patty steps into his space and kisses him. “Hey you,” Patty says, once they pull away. TK can smell his aftershave, lingering between them, and he can see Pat’s red cheeks. He figures Pat probably shaved just before coming here, and that -- it does it for TK. 

They end up on the couch, too much chinese food between them while Patty tells TK everything that went down in his classes this morning. TK nods along and pretends to understand how econ works, but in reality he just likes hearing Patty talk. 

He blushes when Patty asks him about his own day, thinking back to his conversation earlier with Haysie. Patty must see because he smiles a little sneakily, reaches out to stroke his thumb over TK’s warm cheek. TK’s breath shakes a little, embarrassingly, but he gets it together quick enough. 

“One of my teammates, he told me I’ve been making heart eyes at my phone lately,” he says. 

Patty raises both eyebrows at him. “Oh?” He sounds amused, smiling a little around his chopsticks. 

“Yeah,” TK says. “He thinks I’m seeing a girl.” He shakes his head. 

Patty chuckles, a small thing. “And what did you tell him?” he asks. 

TK looks at him, and he thinks this conversation could get very serious, very quickly. But TK doesn’t want that. He enjoys this, likes how light and easy it is between them; he’s never had something like it before. “Didn’t really say much.” He shrugs. “He told me they’re happy for me.” TK is not sure if this is giving too much away -- about how he feels, how much he wants Pat. He watches for Pat's reaction, but Pat just smiles and reaches for another spring roll. 

“That’s sweet,” he says around a mouthful of it. 

“ _ You’re _ sweet,” TK counters, just to make Pat laugh. 

He does. Pat chuckles and almost chokes on his spring roll. He has to reach for his soda and down half of it. TK just stares at his throat moving. 

“Cute,” Patty says, once he’s recovered. His cheeks are red. TK takes that in, and then he looks at Patty’s lips, red and still slightly wet with soda. He thinks Patty looks good pretty much always, but there’s just something special about him when he’s smiling. 

“What?” Patty asks, probably noticing that TK is staring. His cheeks are getting even darker. 

“Nothing,” TK lies. He smiles and leans in, presses his lips to Patty’s. Patty tastes sweet like the sauce he dipped his spring roll in, and he kisses TK back, easily parting his lips for TK’s tongue. TK kisses him and threads his fingers through Patty’s messy hair, and they eventually set the food aside and start making out instead. 

Patty lies back on the couch, and TK gets on top him, their legs getting tangled. They keep kissing, and TK holds himself up on his arms until they start to shake. Patty curls his fingers around TK’s biceps and pulls him down then, so TK ends up just pressing against Patty all over. 

It’s pretty great, just feeling Patty’s body against his own like this, and TK gets a little lost in it. He can feel himself get hard, can feel Patty getting there, too, and pretty soon they’re grinding against each other, Patty breathing harshly against TK’s lips and TK just trying to swallow every single sound he’s making.

It’s good but not enough, so TK gets up and takes Patty’s hand, leads him down the hall to his bedroom. He lets go of Patty once they’re there to get the lights, makes it to the first switch before Patty is pressing him against the door, his mouth back on TK’s. 

There’s more urgency to it this time, Patty biting a little at TK’s lips and TK reaching for Patty’s belt. He manages to undo it with one hand, and then he presses his hand over Patty’s dick and hears the sharp breath Patty takes in, feels it, too, against his lips. “Trav, shit,” Patty breathes, grinding into TK’s hand, and TK thinks this might just be the hottest thing to ever happen to him. 

He pushes away from the door, nudges at Patty’s shoulder until he starts walking backwards towards the bed. He stops once his knees hit the back of it, and then they both get on it, on their sides. They’re kissing again, and TK pushes his thigh up between Patty’s legs, threads his fingers through Patty’s hair. 

Patty makes a choked sound and reaches for TK’s dick, and TK has to stop kissing him then just so he doesn’t come on the spot. Patty starts jerking him off, working himself against TK’s thigh at the same time, and TK just curls his fingers in Patty's hair and tries not to pull too hard. It feels like a lot although it probably isn’t, and then Patty spits in his hand and it’s even more, even better. TK breathes very harshly, raggedly, almost, and then he makes a sound against Patty’s shoulder and comes. 

He can see between them that he’s made a mess, his jizz all over his own jeans and Patty’s hand, and then Patty just swipes his fingers through it and wraps his hand around his own dick, and TK curses. He says, “Patty, jesus,” and pushes Patty’s hand out of the way, starts jerking Patty off himself with his own come slicking the way. 

Patty’s rocking his hips, and his abs clench when he comes, adding to the mess on TK’s jeans. TK jerks him through it until Patty’s shying away from it, and then he moves in to kiss him again. Patty kisses him softly even though he’s breathing roughly, keeps kissing him until the come on TK’s hand has started to dry and he needs to wash it off. 

“Ew,” TK says, looking down at his fingers. 

“Sorry,” Patty says. He doesn’t sound sorry at all. 

TK shakes his head although he’s smiling and heads off to the bathroom. 

+

Later, they end up on the couch. Netflix is playing in a low volume in the background, and they’re tangled up in each other again. It’s getting late, but TK doesn’t want to move. It’s not until he yawns that Patty makes him get up and head for bed. TK bitches about it a little, but then they’re in bed, wrapped up in each other, and that’s even better than a couch. 

“You’re such a baby,” Patty tells him. 

“You mean a babe, I hope,” TK mumbles. 

There’s a moment of silence and then Patty bursts out laughing. “Nerd,” he says. He turns and kisses TK in the dark, his hand cupping TK’s face, and TK kisses back, just for a bit, until they both get too sleepy for it. 

+

TK wakes up way before his alarm goes off. The bed next to his is empty and the covers are cold, which is kind of a bummer. It’s Saturday so Patty didn’t have class, TK figures, and it’s pretty early, too. TK could have driven Patty back if Patty had asked him to, as well, so TK can’t figure out why Patty had to sneak out. 

The whole thought process puts him in a bit of a mood, at least until he gets up to find Patty just studying in the kitchen, at which point TK feels like a grand idiot. Patty doesn’t see him at first, not until TK clears his throat. 

“Good morning,” TK says. He leans against the door frame and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Oh.” Patty jumps. He hurries to snap the textbook shut, and then his whole face starts getting very, very red. “Sorry, I thought you’d be asleep for a while, and my building is so loud and it’s just --” he starts, very obviously panicky, and TK hates that. 

“Hey, no, what,” he cuts Patty off. “Don’t apologize,” he says quickly. He feels bad, now, for taking up so much of Patty’s time. 

Patty stops talking, but he still looks embarrassed, his whole face this fierce red and not the kind of red that TK is into. 

“Pats, seriously, I don’t mind,” TK says. That has Patty turning to meet his eyes, tentative but TK will take it. 

“You sure?” he asks. 

“Absolutely,” TK says. “I just thought you’d left and was kind of bummed out,” he admits, looking away. 

“No, still here,” Patty says. He sounds a little awkward still but he gives TK a smile, just a small one. 

“Great,” TK says. He walks up to the kitchen table and opens Patty’s book back up, most definitely on the wrong page. “Have you eaten?” he asks. 

Patty looks between TK and the textbook, confused. “No?”

“Okay, I’m ordering some breakfast and you’re studying,” TK says. “Then we’ll see.”

Patty looks to be on board with that. He tells TK what he wants to eat, and then kisses him when TK gets him a fresh cup of coffee. “Thanks,” he says, so TK kisses him again. 

Regretfully, TK has to leave Patty alone after that. He moves to the living and scrolls through the team groupchat while ESPN plays on the TV, turned down because TK got the Patty doesn’t like noise when he’s studying.

Patty joins him once the food gets there, and they eat on the couch, very little space between them. Patty feeds TK a couple of pieces of his waffle, kissing him after each bite because, “You just taste sweet.” TK blushes at that, kissing Patty back.

They’re in the car a bit later, parked outside Patty’s building, when TK offers Patty his spare key. “Here,” he says, and, “It’s my spare,” because Patty is looking at him like TK has grown a second head. 

“Oh,” Patty just says then. 

“Just, you mentioned the building being loud, and that can’t be fun,” TK explains. The words are coming a bit quickly but he can’t back out now. “I won’t even have to be there, you know. Just come by whenever I am on roadies, no biggie.”

Patty is still looking at him, mostly confused. TK is starting to feel like an idiot, a big one, at that, but then Patty’s face starts to soften. He reaches for the key. “Thanks,” he says. “Really.”

TK lets out a breath. “No biggie,” he says again, like a loser. 

Patty smiles. He leans in and kisses TK once, and TK’s stomach gets all light.  _ No biggie _ .

**Author's Note:**

> hope u enjoyed and let me know what you thought <33 on twitter @ hearteyesmofo if u want to be frands!


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